


Black & White

by puellaignava



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Science Fiction, Angst, Drama, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Romance, Science Fiction, Science Fiction & Fantasy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-08
Updated: 2017-11-01
Packaged: 2018-09-07 08:39:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 178
Words: 188,494
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8790985
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/puellaignava/pseuds/puellaignava
Summary: Sarah and Shiro have a love that can bring empires to their knees, and that's exactly what they plan to do.





	1. Taken

**Author's Note:**

> Something I've been working on for a few months. It's been good practise and I'm having a lot of fun with it. Please don't be harsh. ): For more information and reference pictures please follow this link: https://tinyurl.com/ShirahMasterpost

He knew he shouldn’t have allowed her to come on missions. This hadn’t been her first, but still. Sarah was small and, she’d kill him for thinking this, fragile. “I shouldn’t have let her….if I had…” he murmured, repeating the same sentiment he had been muttering for thirty minutes. When Pidge had told him, voice trembling and avoiding his gaze, it felt like his heart stopped. Sarah had been captured by Galra soldiers. And worse still, they were taking her directly to Zarkon himself. Pidge had overheard them saying they had seen “this human” with the Black Paladin on multiple occasions, and were eager to get what could be a important hostage to Zarkon. “I should’ve….I Could have…If I hadn’t….” Shiro murmured. Allura laid a gentle hand on his shoulder, stopping him; he didn’t realise he had been pacing this whole time. The others were elsewhere, with the exception of Pidge; he vaguely recalled Allura sending them off to do maintenance on the lions. But Pidge hadn’t budged. 

 

“Pidge, tell us exactly what happened.” Allura said, turning to the Green Paladin. Her voice was mostly steady, but there was a slight nervous waver in it. She had to remain calm for the team, as Shiro was currently unfit to do so. He stared at his hands, which were shaking terribly. How long had they been shaking?

 

Pidge sniffled, wiping away tears. “W-well we were going in to plant the bugs, and we were on our way back when a guard spotted us. We were running through the bushes, staying low….she….Sarah lost her footing…” Pidge trailed off, staring at the floor. Shiro could fill in the blanks: the Galra caught up to her and restrained her, it wouldn’t be that hard, Sarah was so small….

 

He sank to the floor, his face in his hands as he tried not to think of terrible things. “She’s so small….they’re going to hurt her….” he said between sobs. 

 

Allura knelt beside him, placing a comforting hand on his back. “Shiro, this is Sarah, remember? She has contingency plans for her contingency plans. If anyone can escape Zarkon’s clutches on their own, it’d be her.” Shiro looked up at the princess. “And besides,” she continued. “She won’t be on her own.” 

 

“What do you mean?” he asked, his brow furrowing in confusion. 

 

“We’re going to go rescue her. Just you and me.”


	2. Greatest Strength

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Something I've been working on for a few months. It's been good practise and I'm having a lot of fun with it. Please don't be harsh. ): For more information and reference pictures please follow this link: tinyurl(DOT)com/gqw5ngl

She had been so careful. She’d only gone on a handful of missions, but she was always careful not to be seen or caught. She didn’t want to put any undue strain on the team, especially Shiro, who was almost always stressed as it was, though he hid it well. But here she was, in Galra custody and making life more difficult for everyone. On top of that, she wasn’t being taken in as a random prisoner. No, she was a hostage. They knew about her connections to the Paladins. They were taking her straight to Zarkon himself. Her mind wandered to the crew, and to Shiro. She was trying to imagine how everyone would react to her being captured. She figured most of them would be worried about her, but pegged Keith as being either pissy or annoyed. They hadn’t ever really got along, and after a month she had stopped trying and just accepted it. For some reason, his imagined reaction bothered her the most. It was likely because it was in line with her thinking; she was useless on missions, just a damsel in distress waiting to happen. In that moment, she couldn’t really argue against that.

* * *

 

Upon reaching Zarkon’s central command, Sarah was hard at work trying to absorb as much information as she could. She especially kept an eye out for any sign of escape pods or small craft she could sneak away in. While she was doing this, she was also rubbing her fingers together, trying to build up a good deal of quintessence energy that she could use when she needed to. She hadn’t used White Magic in years, There was always the risk that you could exhaust yourself to a point of no return. Her parents had warned her about those who died when they pushed themselves too far. Her sister, Kayla, didn’t take to it like she had. She had the knowledge and the ability, but thought the risk was too great to continue. Sarah was cautiously fascinated, and studied theory more than actually practising. This would be her first real test, and she hoped theory was enough.

 

Before she knew it, they were escorting her into the bridge. She didn’t realise just how scared she was, but she set that aside, trying to focus on building up quintessence and Zarkon. He was in the middle of the room, looking out at his fleet. He didn’t turn until one of the guards who escorted her announced her presence. Smiling he walked up to her, stopping only a few feet away.

 

“The Black Paladin’s lover, unless I’m mistaken?” he said with a chuckle that made her grimace. With her hands cuffed behind her, she hoped no one would notice how furiously she was rubbing her fingers together. “You are quite the prize. Yes, I think you will be very useful indeed.” He grabbed her chin and forced her to look up into his eyes. “You could prove to be his greatest weakness.”

 

“No.” she snarled. “I’m his greatest strength.” Now was the time to see if her build up was enough. She released a white energy pulse that broke her cuffs and pushed those around her back several feet. Had they been on guard, she likely wouldn’t have made it out the door. But as they hadn’t expected her to be capable of much of anything, she had the element of surprise on her side and that made all the difference. She heard Zarkon yelling at guards to catch her, and as she turned a corner red warning lights began flashing as an alarm sounded. Thinking quickly, she pulled off a vent grate and squeezed in, pulling it back on as she eased into the small space. It was times like these that she was glad she was tiny. She paused, taking a moment to orient herself.

 

First, she had to maneuver through the air vent system until she found a hanger or an escape pod. Hopefully, Zarkon’s robots wouldn’t be smart enough to check unusual places, and his Galra soldiers wouldn’t think to look in small places. From her understanding and experience, Galra were focused on action, not sneaking around. She knew she could easily be proven wrong. But now was not the time to think about that. Sarah needed to get out of central command somehow. Trying to picture the layout of the halls she had been escorted through and figure where she was in relation to them, she began to crawl.

 

As she moved along, the sound of running troops started to fade. So far, it seemed no one had thought to look in the air vents for the escaped human. When she got to a point where she couldn’t even hear the echo of the robots hunting her, she looked through the nearest vent grate. The hall was empty, and she could just make out a hanger a short way along. “Score.” she murmured, carefully removing the grate. Though she hadn’t seen anyone, she didn’t want to make any noise, just in case. After slipping out and righting herself, she replaced the grate gently and began to lightly run to the hanger.

 

 

As she reached a junction just before the hanger, she heard footsteps approaching from the left. Sarah slowed and hugged the wall, waiting for them to pass and praying they didn’t notice her. She was expecting Galra soldiers. She was not expecting Shiro and Allura.

 

“Shiro?” she asked. She couldn’t believe it, they had come for her and so quickly. The relief on his face when he turned and saw her made her heart melt. He ran to her and picked her up, holding her close. Letting her down, his lips found hers and they were kissing as if there was no tomorrow. Allura had to clear her throat to bring them back to the present.

 

“What happened? We got here and the alarms were already sounding. How’d you escape?” the Princess asked.

 

Before Sarah could answer, another voice spoke up. “I was wondering that myself.”

 

The three turned to see Haggar in the hanger alone. Shiro and Allura tensed up, both taking a stance as Shiro maneuvered Sarah behind him.

 

“Shiro, stand down.” the small girl said, patting him on the shoulder. “I got this.” She moved in front of them, facing the black witch head on. “I’ll show you.” she growled. Haggar’s smirk faded as a ball of white energy formed in Sarah’s hand. “You and me, witch. Let’s dance.”


	3. White Witch

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Something I've been working on for a few months. It's been good practise and I'm having a lot of fun with it. Please don't be harsh. ): For more information and reference pictures please follow this link: tinyurl(DOT)com/gqw5ngl

Sarah still had quintessence energy built up from earlier and hoped it was enough. She didn’t know what Haggar was capable of; just that she was a black witch who had tortured and experimented on Shiro. That was unforgivable, and for what could be the only time ever, Sarah had a chance to take the witch out. She didn’t intend to waste it.

 

“White witch.” Haggar snarled as a black ball of energy formed in her hand, crackling like a small lightning storm.

 

Sarah smirked. “You got that right.” She vanished, in a manner similar to that of the druids. Haggar took to looking wildly around her; it was clear she was not used to an adversary who was her equivalent. Sarah flashed back into existence a few steps behind her, hurling her glowing ball with as much force as she could. Haggar only just barely blocked it; it ricocheted and hit one of the fighter crafts in the hanger. The ship exploded, throwing flaming chunks all over, but the witches were too focused on each other to care.

 

The two volleyed quintessence energy at teach other, alternating between dodging, throwing volatile balls of energy, or slicing the air with pulses that crackled with lightning. It was an even match that was quickly destroying the integrity of the hanger.

 

Haggar switched it up first; Sarah was suddenly surrounded by dozens of clones, all laughing and jeering. “I never expected a white witch to be so formidable. I thought your kind avoided extensive use, lest they exhaust themselves and die.”

 

“I’m not dying today.” Sarah growled, focusing on Haggar’s voice. She pinpointed the real witch amongst the illusions and vanished in a flash, only to reappear in front of the Black Witch, her fist glowing white and in full swing. She punched Haggar straight in the face, the force of which threw the Galra tumbling back several feet. Her clones disintegrated into smoke as she shakily got back on her feet.

 

“I suppose I should expect such ferocity from the lover of my champion.” Haggar spat, wiping blood from her lip.

 

The air crackled around Sarah, as though her anger and hatred were manifesting in the form of quintessence. “HE’S NOT YOUR CHAMPION.” she roared, firing a beam of white at the Black Witch, knocking her off her feet and into the wall of the hanger. Sarah teleported, vanishing and then reappearing as if she were smoke, to where Haggar lay crumpled on the ground. The Black Witch tried to rise but couldn’t seem to muster the strength. Somewhere in the back of her mind, Sarah realised this apparent victory was only possible because of luck and the element of surprise; she wanted to end Haggar, because if they were to face each other again, Haggar could easily over power her. Sarah’s fist began to glow blindingly white, crackling with lightning as she built up a charge. “He’s mine.” she said venomously.

 

Before she could obliterate the witch, she disappeared, leaving Sarah to blast a hole in the floor. She looked around, trying to see if she could sense Haggar’s quintessence, but she could not. “Ok…” she said, panting. “She’s gone….she fled….” With her adrenaline fading, she began to realise how much her muscles were screaming at her. White magic required the user’s life force as a conduit and medium to manipulate quintessence. It was true what Haggar had said; white witches could easily exhaust themselves and die if they weren’t careful. Sarah heard Shiro and Allura running to her, she could tell they were speaking to her, but her world had grown muted, and then everything went black.

* * *

 

The next time she opened her eyes, she was in a cryopod. She heard muffled voices just outside that became clearer when the pod opened. Before she could blink to adjust to the change in light, Shiro was there, easing her down onto the steps.

 

“How are you feeling?” he asked, holding her close to him. “Will you be….ok?”

 

It took her a second to catch on. “Oh…yea, I feel fine…a little disoriented but that might be the cryopod…”

 

Allura knelt down in front of her and took one of Sarah’s hands in her own. “Sarah…how did you learn to manipulate quintessence like that?” she asked carefully.

 

“My…my parents taught me and my sister and my brother….I think it was a family thing….they weren’t sure if Kayla and I could learn it since we were human but we did….” She looked from Allura to Coran and back. “Are there…not a lot of white witches?”

 

Allura shook her head. “I don’t know if I’ve ever heard of a white witch before.”

 

Sarah blinked, though in hindsight she realised she shouldn’t be all that surprised. She hadn’t known any white witches outside of her family, and they had warned her not to be too open about it. She never wondered why until now.

 

“Could you tell us what all you know?” the Princess asked eagerly. “I mean, after you rest up, of course.”

 

Sarah nodded, realising she wanted nothing more than to lay down curled up in Shiro’s arms. She leaned into him, closing her eyes and smiling sleepily. “Mmmm…cozy….”


	4. Unnecessary Risk

The mission hadn’t gone as planned, but it wasn’t a complete failure. Pidge and Allura managed to make it back safely with the Galra intel they had gone in for. But Shiro had been overwhelmed and captured as he tried to give the others time to carry out the plan. The Galra commander made the mistake of broadcasting Shiro’s pain as a way to get his team mates to turn themselves over. Sarah wasn’t having any of that.

 

“Go on, I’ll catch up.” she told Allura, heading for the bridge.

 

“Sarah, please, think about this, it’s too dangerous.” Allura insisted, gently trying to hold her back. “Shiro wouldn’t want you to.”

 

Sarah smiled slightly and patted the Altean’s hand before removing it from her shoulder. “That’s irrelevant right now. I can handle this. Just have a medpod ready, yea?”

 

Allura hesitated but nodded. There really was no talking Sarah out of whatever it is she intended to do. That would just lead to pointless arguing and become a waste of precious time. “Be careful.” she murmured before hurrying off to escape.

 

Upon reaching the door to the bridge, where the top officers of the ship would be and where they had declared they were holding Shiro, Sarah closed her eyes and focused on seeing the room behind the closed door. Using her own life energy to see everything with the universe’s quintessence, she reached out to the Galra robots scattered throughout the room and pictured herself crushing them one by one, as her mother had taught her. On the other side, she heard metal crunching and knew her white magic was working.

 

Manipulating quintessence was quite similar to manipulating an extension of one’s self, in that it very much was. Sarah had been taught in the ways of white magic, which teaches that the universe’s quintessence is a part of every thing, living or not, and by extending yourself with your own life energy, you could manipulate the pull and flow of the universe’s energy without causing irreversible destruction. Sarah had generally refrained from using this ability, as she had a tendency to overdue it and drain her life energy far too much. But she had been making more and more allowances recently, and she knew a night or two in a medpod would return her to perfect health.

 

Upon hearing the commotion inside, she opened her eyes and forced the doors open. There were three Galra officers, staring dumbfounded at their crumpled robots and the small human girl who had burst into their control room. Shiro was in the middle, hunched over and panting heavily. Sarah narrowed her eyes at the Galra officers. “Who hurt him?” she asked darkly. The Galra didn’t responded, still slightly dumbstruck. Half a heartbeat later they had recovered and were charging. Sarah rose them into the air, ignoring the pain as her body began to protest the overuse of it’s energy, and flung them down the hall she had just come from. Breathing heavily and shaking slightly, she ripped part of the hall’s walls from their place and dropped them on the fallen soldiers.

 

Content they were down for the count, she rushed over to Shiro, falling to her hands and knees as her strength dwindled rapidly. “Shiro….are you…ok…?” Sarah asked, using the small bit of strength she could muster to slash through his restraints.

 

“I’ll be fine, but what are you doing? I told you to go and don’t look back.” he chided. The rest of his words were lost as her vision grew fuzzy and then went dark.

 

* * *

 

Next thing she knew, she was waking up inside a medpod back in the castle. It was very disorienting, but it was better than the alternative, and someone was generally always there to help out. Shiro caught her before she could take a wobbly step and eased her down to sit on the steps. It was then that she noticed they were alone and Shiro seemed tense. “Um…is something wrong?” she asked, confused.

 

Shiro was quiet a moment, and when he spoke it sounded as though he had prepared very carefully, paying close attention to the specific words and the way he said them. “I don’t think you should come on missions anymore. You don’t follow orders, and put everyone else at risk.”

 

Sarah cut him off. “Yeah, I can agree with the orders thing, cause I’m not gonna leave you to die, but I’m very careful to not put anyone at risk besides myself.”

 

“But that’s the thing, I don’t want you to have to put yourself at risk ever.”

 

“Well, that’s just something we’ll have to live with.”

 

“Sarah, it’s often unnecessary risk. You don’t need to overexert yourself like that, you know what kind of toll white magic has on you. You should be hesitant to use it, but again and again you are willing to severely hurt yourself when that isn’t at all necessary.”

 

“Again and again? It’s been like two or three times, I think I’m ok.”

 

“Everyone of those times you end up putting yourself out of commission.”

 

“Well, I mean, that’s a side effect-”

 

“And that can put others at risk-”

 

“In my defense I do only use it as a last resort.”

 

“You can’t always know that, though.”

 

Sarah fell silent,avoiding his gaze. After a moment, she asked, in a hushed tone, “What do you want from me, Shiro? Do you want me to sit at home and twiddle my thumbs while you go risk your life? You can’t stand to let me risk my life, but I’m just supposed to be ok with you risking yours?”

 

Shiro rested his head in his hands. “This isn’t easy.” he sighed.

 

Sarah gave a strained chuckle. “You got that right.” She leaned over, resting her head on his shoulder.

 

“Maybe…is it possible for you to learn to better conserve your energy? I don’t know how….quintessence works…” he suggested.

 

Sarah thought over her lessons with her parents. “I don’t know…but I could look into it. There’s bound to be something out there.”

 

Shiro shifted so he could wrap his arm around her. “It’d help me sleep a little better.” She could tell he was smiling as he kissed her head, and that made her smile, too.


	5. Prisoner Records

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Something I've been working on for a few months. It's been good practise and I'm having a lot of fun with it. Please don't be harsh. ): For more information and reference pictures please follow this link: tinyurl(DOT)com/gqw5ngl

“….and thats how detectable gravity waves are created, according to theory.” Sarah finished. She had completely geeked out at Lance’s earlier off the cuff comment that was not supposed to be based in science fact in any way; but Sarah being Sarah, had read about it previously. “Isn’t that insane?” she asked, looking to Shiro, who had listened to her science ramble patiently and attentively.

 

“It really is. It’s really hard to wrap your mind around just how big things in the universe are.”

 

“It trips me out all the time.” she said, laughing. She paused for a second, looking over the holographic handheld she had used to pull up tidbits supporting her claim. Then she jumped up and down excitedly. “I love science! I love space! It’s so cool!”

 

Shiro laughed; he loved seeing her excited over her interests. Sarah really lit up when she talked about that which fascinated her, and he treasured every minute of it. Though they were at war, she managed to find a way to stay upbeat and optimistic, and Shiro would do anything to keep someone from taking that away.

 

Lance peeked in from the doorway. “Is she done yet?” he asked teasingly.

 

“Lance, you butt.” Sarah said, sticking her tongue out at him. “I could give an encore if you like.”

 

“No, no, no, that won’t be necessary.” he said chuckling. Turning to Shiro, “Pidge and Allura are back.”

 

“Oh, good.” Shiro sighed with relief. He hated recon missions where he couldn’t oversee the safety of his crew, but he had been needed elsewhere and Pidge and Allura were perfectly capable taking care of themselves.

 

The three headed down to greet them, joining Hunk and Coran as they went. They reached the small ship just as Pidge and Allura were exiting. “Did you get the prisoner intel?” Shiro asked. Though it was a small matter in the grand scheme of things, he and Pidge had been desperate for any information concerning Dr. Holt and Matt, and when the ship intercepted Galra transmissions, it gave them a very big lead. They managed to decipher that it was a message about prisoner transfer and Pidge calculated its origin. One undercover trip later, they had a prisoner roster and and a prisoner transfer timetable.

 

The apprehension on their face did not escape Shiro’s notice. “What’s wrong?” he asked, bracing himself.

 

To everyone’s surprise, Allura turned to Sarah. “What’s your sister’s name?”

 

“Um….Kayla….” Sarah answered, confused.

 

Pidge and Allura exchanged looks. “We found Pidge’s family’s location, but we don’t have the coordinates-”

 

“Well, that’s good, isn’t it?” Keith interrupted, only just joining the group. “A starting point?”

 

Pidge fiddled with her hem as Allura plowed on. “We found they had another human, who was being transferred to Zarkon’s home base. the name was…Kayla…” Allura said slowly. “And there was an annotation next to her name…”

 

Pidge picked up where Allura trailed off.

 

“White Witch.”


	6. Strategy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Something I've been working on for a few months. It's been good practise and I'm having a lot of fun with it. Please don't be harsh. ): For more information and reference pictures please follow this link: tinyurl(DOT)com/gqw5ngl

It felt as though her heart had stopped. Time froze, and she fell into darkness, the others slipping far away, their voices distant. Somehow, she registered that she was still standing, but Sarah felt like she was floating in an abyss. Zarkon had her sister. And he knew that it was her sister. A thousand thoughts flew through her mind. _I should’ve sought her out, I should’ve contacted her…._ But there was no point in dwelling on what she should have done. As she switched gears, a small flame lit up, flickering and dancing in the darkness. Soon, it grew into a bonfire. Anger. Fury. Hatred. Her hands tightened into fists, and she felt herself return to the present. 

 

Shiro was in front of her, his hands on her shoulder, and Allura was behind him. Sarah knew they were both talking, but it took her a few seconds to break free of the dark, muted world she had fallen into. 

 

“….and we’ll do everything we can, just like how we’re going to get Pidge’s family, we’ll get Kayla, she’ll be ok.” Shiro was saying, confident and strong and determined. 

 

“We can go in, just a small team, your ship can pass Zarkon’s defenses easily enough.” Allura said firmly, as if it was a sure win. 

 

“No.” Sarah cut in, monotone. “No, I know what needs to be done.” Shiro and Allura looked at each other, confused and worried, as Sarah turned on her heel and walked to her ship. The Black Paladin and the Princess hastened to follow, but she paid no mind. “Hunk, can you get me a map with all the planets we’ve freed and Galra bases we’ve taken down?”

 

“Uh…” Hunk hesitated, not sure what was going on. No one was, really. “Yea…sure thing.” 

 

“Pidge,” Sarah said as Hunk hurried off. “I need a map of the known Galra bases and supply routes, the ones we haven’t taken yet, can you get that for me?”

 

“Yea, give me a sec.” the Green Paladin replied, already at work. 

 

Sarah reached her ship’s open hatch, entering it and walking up to her super computer. She pulled up her database and had it do a specific keyword search on all things Galra. 

 

“Ok,” Pidge said, walking up the hatch ramp. “I got Hunk’s map, and mine, where do you need it?” 

 

Sarah pointed to her computers free ports; Pidge understood and plugged the data chips in. Sarah pulled the maps up, overlayed them over one another, and made it larger. “And Zarkon’s base is here….” she murmured to herself, adding a point to the map. “So we have most of this area….Allura,” she turned to the Princess. “Would you happen to know which planets would have a functioning or budding military?” 

 

Allura frowned, confusion etched in her face. “Um…not exactly off the top of my head, but I can make some calls…” Sarah nodded and returned to her screen, making notes here and there. After a moment, she heard Allura and Pidge leave, and Shiro closed the back hatch. 

 

“Sarah….” he began slowly. He gently grabbed one of her hands and eased her around towards him. “Tell me what’s going on in your head.” 

 

She looked up at him and felt tears roll down her face; she didn’t even realise she had been crying. She took a deep breath to steady herself. “I’m planning an assault on Zarkon.” she said matter-of-factly, though her voice wavered slightly from her crying. His thick brows furrowed in concern. Before he could speak, she went on. “If we cut off the rest of his supply lines, the heart will be weakened. If we can gather up an army of our own, they can distract Zarkon’s armada, leaving Voltron free to take him head on.” 

 

Shiro blinked, surprised. “That’s….a fairly sound strategy…But what about Hagger and the Druids?” 

 

Sarah smiled sheepishly. “That’s where I come in.” 

 

“No way, no, you are not going in there to face them.” he said at once. 

 

Sarah placed her hands on his cheeks and looked him steadily in his dark eyes. “I’m going in to get my sister. And we’ll take the dark witches out together.” She rose on her toes to gently kiss him; he wrapped his arms around her, holding her close, as if he was afraid to let go. “I know you don’t like it. But it’s not like we know anyone else who can manipulate quintessence. With any luck we’ll draw off all the Druids and Hagger and Zarkon will be alone.” 

 

“But…what if Hagger…what she’s too powerful?” he asked, a sliver of worry slipping into his voice. 

 

“Oh, I don’t intend to let Hagger get the best of me.” she said with a slight chuckle. “She owes quite a hefty debt for what she’s done.”

 

“What do you mean?” 

 

Sarah looked into his eyes more intensely than before. “I’m going to make her pay for everything she did to you. Zarkon is Voltron’s fight. Hagger is _mine_.” she said darkly. Gone was the upbeat, optimistic girl who got excited over science trivia, at least for now. She had a mission now. She was going to help bring down the Galra empire if it killed her. 


	7. Difficult Subject

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Something I've been working on for a few months. It's been good practise and I'm having a lot of fun with it. Please don't be harsh. ): For more information and reference pictures please follow this link: tinyurl(DOT)com/gqw5ngl

“I don’t really know what to do, Allura.” Shiro said, resting his chin on his interlocked hands. 

 

Allura smiled understandingly. “Can you not just tell her plainly?” she asked. It had been late when the Black Paladin came to her for counsel. She had set aside the documents she pulled earlier, which had quickly become scattered across the dining table, but neatness was not priority right now. 

 

Shiro thought for a moment, then shook his head. “It might strengthen her resolve.” 

 

Allura nodded. Sarah could be quite stubborn when she set her mind to something. The Princess herself had tried on several occasions to talk the small human out of something, only to waste more time than they had. “Why don’t you tell me…and maybe we can think of a way to phrase it differently?” she suggested with a shrug. 

 

He nodded. “She’s….she’s so intent on killing Haggar and the druids…because of….” he trailed off, looking at his Galra arm. “I just don’t know…..it’s not a simple thing, killing someone. I don’t know how many….when I was in the arena…” He took a deep breath, trying to steady himself; talking about his year in Galra custody wasn’t easy and it was not something he liked to do. “I don’t want her to have that on her conscience. Even if it is Haggar.”

 

“Hmmm…” Allura murmured, thinking. They had to somehow frame it in such a way that would convince Sarah to not pursue her revenge. “Have you asked her why she wants to?”

 

“Besides the obvious?” Shiro shakily chuckled.  Sarah’s main motivation was what the black witches had subjected him to. It wasn’t something they regularly talked about, as it was hard for both of them. He hated reliving it, and Sarah would become emotionally distressed picturing it. “No, I haven’t directly asked her.”

 

Allura placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. “That might be a good place to start. And then….” she paused, thinking. “Maybe….maybe say Haggar isn’t worth it. Like you said, killing isn’t…” she trailed off. 

 

“I suppose it’s worth a shot.” he said, standing up. “Thanks, I’ll let you know how things turn out.” 

 

“Good luck.” Allura said, pulling the documents back to her. “You will probably need it.” she added under her breath as he left the room.


	8. Together

Shiro found Sarah in her ship on her computer. Though it was rather late, she often didn’t go to sleep until long after everyone else had. When on a planet, she could be considered nocturnal, but out in space time didn’t feel the same. There wasn’t a sun or a moon or really anything to mark the passage of the day. 

 

He knocked gently on the ship wall to announce his presence. “Hey. What are you up to?” 

 

“I’m reading up on quantum mechanics. I’m a little rusty.” she said, scrolling through a text-heavy page. “You’re up rather late, aren’t you?” Sarah asked, pausing to look at him as he came to sit on the floor next to her. 

 

“Yea….Sarah…” he began slowly. His eyes scanned her face carefully as he asked his question. “Why do you want to take on Haggar?” 

 

Sarah hesitated a moment before turning her screen off and turning in her seat to face him. She didn’t look at him though; instead she fiddled with the hem of her skirt. “Well….” she began. “um….” Shiro reached up and took one her hands in his. When she looked up to meet his gaze, he nodded, encouraging her to go on. “I…..I couldn’t be there for you that year….and….it was all just….so unforgivable…..and I can’t take it away, I can’t do anything…” Her voice wavered as tears welled up in her eyes. 

 

Shiro gently pulled her into his lap, hugging her close. “It’s ok. It’s ok. We hadn’t even met then, we can’t change that.”

 

“I know that…logically I know that….” she said, her voice muffled as she buried her face in his shoulder. “But she hurt you. So much. And there’s nothing I can do to take that pain away.” Sarah sobbed. 

 

His arms tightened around her. “I know that. I understand that. I would never expect that of you.” 

 

“But I can’t live with not doing anything about it. And the only thing I can think to do…is take out those that hurt you….” she said softly. 

 

Shiro didn’t really know what to say. He didn’t want her to be so distressed over something neither of them could change, but he couldn’t think of any alternative course of action that might alleviate her need to act. “We’ll think on this….together.” he said, gently stroking her hair. “I don’t want you to have to kill anybody, even if its Haggar. We’ll figure something out.” Sarah didn’t say anything, but nodded into his shoulder.


	9. Sendak Returns

“Sarah, I thought we discussed this.” Shiro said, exasperated. He didn’t know how to convince her that killing Haggar wasn’t going to solve anything. 

 

“You talked, I just kind of….nodded, sorta.” Sarah said lightly as he landed the pod. 

 

“In many cultures, that’s viewed as a sign of agreement.” Shiro said, sharply sarcastic. He realised it wasn’t exactly the right time to have this discussion, but it had come up on the way to the planet and he just couldn’t let it go. “I had hoped we had resolved this by now.” 

 

“You and me both.” Sarah said stiffly, unbuckling her restraints and sliding her helmet on. Shiro sighed, exasperated, and followed suit. 

 

The castle had received several distress beacons at once, causing the team to split up and aid the different planets in teams. Shiro thought it’d be nice to have alone time with with his girlfriend of almost eight months; he did not imagine they’d spend the time arguing. It was really quite odd for them to disagree to such an extent; both were very good at compromising. But there wasn’t really a way to compromise over the issue at hand. 

 

Once on the ground, Shiro led the way through the alien forest. He was relying on a tracking device focused on the distress ping, as it was night and there were no celestial bodies to provide any kind of light. “Stay close.” he said firmly. The lack of visibility made him uneasy. 

 

For a while, the only sound was the crunching of foliage beneath their feet. Shiro was focused on the mission at hand, but a part of his mind was trying to form a persuasive argument that would convince Sarah to not kill Haggar. He acknowledged thaat her heart was in the right place, but killing someone was not a simple task and especially not something to take lightly. He was determined to have her see that. 

 

“What kind of aliens do you think live here?” Sarah asked, pulling him from his thoughts. According to the tracker they were getting close, but all he saw around them was darkness. 

 

“Uh, I don’t know. Would depend on the air and….how much light it gets from the nearest star….” he said absentmindedly. Something definitely didn’t feel right, but he couldn’t put his finger on it. 

 

“Yea…can’t really get readings on those right now…” she murmured mostly to herself. “I wonder-what is it?” Sarah asked as Shiro stopped abruptly. 

 

“Something’s not right. Tracker says its just about here, but there’s nothing.” He banged the tracker against his palm a few times, but nothing changed. 

 

“Well maybe it’s just-SHIRO LOOK OUT!” she screamed, pushing him forwards.

 

A large hand flew at them, catching Sarah and hurling her against a tree. “SARAH!” he yelled, running over to where she had fallen. The hand was gone; it wasn’t until he had reached her and checking her pulse that he registered who it belonged to. “Sendak!” he hissed. Sarah was unresponsive but still breathing. He wished they hadn’t split into such small teams; he needed to get her to safety and distract Sendak, but he couldn’t do both. Looking around, he spotted the glow of the Galra’s prosthetic arm through the trees; it was getting closer. 

 

“Where are you, Paladin?” he called. It sounded as though he was alone but surely that wasn’t so. Shiro set his jaw; he’d have to face Sendak and hope Sarah would wake up and go get help. 

 

Standing up, he activated his arm and approached carefully, not wanting to get caught off guard. 

 

“There you are.” Sendak said, grinning maliciously as Shiro edged around a tree and laid eyes on the Galra soldier. “Looks like I got your little pet instead of you. Tell me, did I break her?” 

 

Shiro roared and flung himself at Sendak. Both had activated their Galra prosthetics and were aiming for vitals; missing their target led to the trees around them becoming shredded. The Black Paladin was trying to guide the fight away from where Sarah was, with moderate success. They were inadvertently carving a wide path through the forest, cutting through foliage left and right. He was careful with his footing, but the sudden cliff still caught him by surprise. He only fell for a second, but it felt like a lifetime before he managed to grab a thick tree root. 

 

Sendak looked down at him, laughing. “You’re getting clumsy, Paladin!” he gloated. He turned away and began yelling orders; just as he had thought, Sendak was not alone. “Grab the girl, we’ll take her with us.”

 

“No! Sendak, don’t you touch her!” Shiro yelled. He started climbing, losing his footing occasionally in his haste. As he pulled himself over the edge, he saw a Galra craft rise up out of the forest and shoot off into space. “No!!” he yelled frantically, running back to the pod they had come in. Jumping into the craft, he got everything fired up and connected to the closest team. “Keith, you copy?” 

 

“Yea, I copy, what’s wrong?” Keith’s voice crackled.

 

“Sendak has Sarah.” Shiro said angrily as he took off.

 

“Sendak?! But-what are you gonna do?” the Red Paladin asked, sounding worried.

 

“I’m gonna kill him.”


	10. Rescue

“Are you in position?” Allura asked Lance and Hunk, who were in their lion’s flying towards Sendak’s ship. She, Shiro, Keith, and Pidge were tucked away in the Green lion, invisible and approaching from behind. They had been in a similar set up before, back when they first found the lions. Sendak had Red and they snuck aboard to retrieve the lion. This time, they were retrieving a hostage. 

 

It didn’t take long for Shiro and the others to regroup in the castle and set after Sendak. Luckily, the Galra hadn’t left the system and the crew managed to catch up to them quickly. They were reusing an old plan, but this time there would be no splitting up. 

 

“Yea, we’re out in front.” Lance replied over the comms. “Tell us when.”

 

“We’re about to board.” the Princess said as Pidge eased Green under the Galra ship. A few moments later, the four were running through Galra halls. “We’re in, engage!” 

 

In the distance the group heard blasts, and encountered trouble running as the entire ship shook. Shiro didn’t let it slow him; though he stumbled, he launched himself from the ground, pushing himself to run faster. The others began having trouble keeping up, but he couldn’t think about that. He was focused on the mission at hand: saving Sarah. 

 

It was all he could do to not think about what Sendak might do to her; he just hoped they’d reach them before the Galra got a chance. Ever since Shiro lost her, he replayed everything that happened over and over in his mind, pinpointing each and every mistake he made, but focusing his anger and frustration on Sendak. With each replay, his loathing for the Galra soldier grew more and more intense. 

 

“Should be right through here.” Allura said, panting as she did her best to keep up. “Everyone remember-”

 

Sendak’s voice cut her off, echoing through the ship. “I know you’re there, Paladin. I have your prize right here….Would you like to say anything?”

 

The group froze. “Ya know,” they heard Sarah say flatly. “I think I’d prefer to watch you rot in hell.” 

 

“You insolent little-” Sendak growled, drowned out by Sarah’s pained screaming. The audio cut off abruptly, still echoing slightly. 

 

Shiro roared in anger and frustration, punching a hole in the wall next to him. He began running again, faster, as her screams echoed in his head. 

 

It wasn’t long before they reached the bridge. The plan was to have Shiro and Keith keep the Galra occupied while Allura grabbed Sarah and Pidge covered their escape. But Shiro’s mind was clouded by anger and hatred for Sendak. He wanted the Galra dead and he wanted to be the one to end him.


	11. Understanding

She was tired, and in pain, and all she wanted to do was sleep. But it was all Sarah could do to not close her eyes. Shiro and her friends were coming for her, and she didn’t want to be dead weight. She was determined to not be useless.

 

“Why haven’t you located them?” Sendak asked irritably.

 

“I don’t know sir, the lions might have-” another Galra began.

 

“I don’t want to hear it, I want to know where the Paladins are!”

 

Sendak was in the middle of the room, barking orders, when the large doors opened. In a blur of black and purple, Shiro attacking Sendak, Keith close by him taking down Galra bots.

 

Sarah pushed herself off the floor, which was difficult since her hands were cuffed behind her, but she managed to right herself just as Allura and Pidge reached her. “Are you ok?” the Princess asked as Pidge removed her cuffs.

 

“Yea, I mean….ow.” she replied, letting Allura help her up; she hadn’t realised how sore she was. “I would not recommend hitting a tree, that was not fun.” She grimaced.

 

“Here…” Allura said, sweeping Sarah into her arms bridal style. The small girl blinked, but the Princess paid her no mind; it was time to go. Pidge made some kind of signal to Keith who nodded, and then the girls were out, sprinting down the hall.

 

Sarah peeked over Allura’s shoulder. “Um…aren’t they supposed to be following…?” she asked, confused.

 

“Never mind that, we need to get you out of here.” Allura said, though she looked concerned. “Pidge, is Green ready?”

 

“Yup.” Pidge said, moving ahead of them.

 

Sarah noticed she was beginning to drift in and out, as she started to lose the battle to keep her eyes open. She closed her eyes and when she next opened them they were inside Pidge’s lion. “Just rest, Sarah.” Allura was saying. It sounded like Pidge was yelling frantically over comms.

 

“Where’s…?” Sarah began to ask.

 

“Shuush now, rest.” the Princess reiterated, smiling. Sarah noted that her eyes were worried, but before she could ask, she passed out.

* * *

 

When she next opened her eyes, she was sprawled out in Shiro’s bed, tangled up in her blanket. “Am I that crazy a sleeper what the hell…” she murmured groggily, feeling around for her glasses.

 

The door opened then, and a blurry person she recognised as Shiro entered. “I put them over here, hang on.” he said, retrieving them for her.

 

When he handed them to her, she slid them on and tried to sit up as the world came in to focus. “Ok ow.” she grunted, laying back down.

 

“Just rest.” Shiro said, sitting on the edge of the bed.

 

Sarah nodded. “Yup, that sounds like a good plan right now. Could I have my phone?” He smiled and passed her her omniphone; she got the feeling he had anticipated her wanting it first thing. She activated it and began browsing, like she usually did when she first woke up.

 

“So….” she began after a moment, as she remembered what all happened. “what uhm….what I miss?”

 

Shiro looked at his hands for a long moment before speaking. “Allura and I were….talking….I think…..I think I understand now.”

 

“Understand what?”

 

“I understand why you….you want to take on Haggar.”

 

Sarah blinked. “Oh.”

 

He took a deep breath. “When Sendak took you….I got so…..angry. I was so afraid and felt helpless, like I couldn’t……” he trailed off, at a loss for words.

 

“Shiro…” Sarah said, holding out her hand. She smiled when he took it.

 

“I won’t try to dissuade you anymore. But I’d like it if you trained some.” he said, squeezing her hand.

 

“I can live with that. C’mere.” she said, tugging his hand. He lean over and they kissed briefly. “I love you, goof head.”

 

Shiro chuckled. “And I you.”


	12. Useless

After a few hours, Sarah felt well enough to leave the bed and walk around. She and Shiro joined Allura in the lounge, who was perusing an encyclopedia the small human girl had lent her. 

 

Setting the book aside, Allura scooched over and patted the couch next to her eagerly as Sarah approached. “It’s good to see you up and about, and so soon!” 

 

“I was getting bored.” Sarah laughed as Shiro sat next to her. 

 

“I told her she should rest some more.” he said, mock-chastising her. She stuck her tongue out at him and he returned the gesture. 

 

“Are you feeling ok at least?” Allura asked. 

 

“Yea. I mean I’m still sore in places, but like….I just won’t do any strenuous activities for a while.” she answered with a shrug. 

 

“Sarah was hoping you’d tell her what we talked about.” Shiro said, lowering his voice. He wrapped his arm around Sarah’s shoulders as the girl looked at Allura expectantly. 

 

“Oh. Well.” the Princess cleared her throat. “Did….Shiro tell you anything?”

 

“He said he talked with you and you helped him understand why I want to take out Haggar.” 

 

“Ah…yes. Well, you see, after Pidge and I got you out…..um….” Allura glanced uneasily at Shiro, who was avoiding her gaze. “Shiro was….determined to end Sendak then and there.” she said hesitantly. Sarah felt Shiro tense up. 

 

“I….I was afraid of what he might’ve done to you…or what he might do…..I don’t think I’ve ever hated someone so much in my life. And it just….” he took a deep, shuddering breath. “It killed me that I couldn’t be there for you. I know it wasn’t quite possible, but still it killed me….and….”

 

“…And that mirrors how I feel….” Sarah finished, smiling understandingly. She wiped away a stray tear from his face; he trapped her hand against his cheek, leaning into it. 

 

“He could have died.” Keith said viciously from the doorway. 

 

“Keith…” Shiro warned. 

 

“He didn’t use to risk his life so recklessly.” the Red Paladin went on, not breaking eye contact with Sarah. “You’re useless, all you do is get kidnapped and then Shiro has to risk it all to save you.” 

 

“Keith!” Allura said, standing up, her hands in angry fists. “That’s uncalled for!” 

 

Sarah narrowed her eyes and stood. “I need to be alone for a bit.” she said dully. Before anyone could say another word she was outside the room. She hesitated there for a moment, and heard loud arguing from behind her. 

 

Fighting back tears, she jogged to the nearest accessible air vent shaft and climbed in. Only she and Pidge could into the vents, so she figured she could count on a good deal of alone time. When she reached a corner she stopped crawling, rolled onto her side, and started crying. Everything Keith said had already been lurking in her mind since the very beginning. She had no fighting skills, she had no weapon, she could use magic but only in short bursts….She was a damsel in distress waiting to happen. And it already happened, twice. The only thing of value she could provide the team was her computer, and Pidge could easily replace her there. 

 

Sarah took a few shuddering breaths, trying to calm herself down. She didn’t like crying in front of people, preferring to cry herself out alone. She began trying to think of ways she wasn’t useless, to prove Keith and her doubts wrong. All she could think of were things related to her computer. Then it came to her. 

 

“Thats it.” she whispered to herself, rolling back to her hands and knees. She crawled through the vents until she reached the hanger her ship was in. Gently dislodging the vent screen, she slipped out and ran inside to her computer. Her body felt a great deal more sore, but she ignored it. Pulling up the screen, she compiled the data she had been collecting for months into one map. Checking her box for any words from her various contacts, she saw she had a new message. When she opened it, all it said was “save this”. They had sent a video. Opening it, she watched in terror as what was clearly Zarkon’s central base hovered around a planet, draining its quintessence. An entire planet in one go. The video ended with warning lights flashing. Frantically, she messaged contact, hoping they’d reply quickly, as they were generally good about that. But they didn’t. She didn’t want to think what might’ve happened to them. 

 

Adding the video to the map, she copied everything to a holodrive and left her ship, heading to the castle’s control room. 

 

Shiro, Keith, Allura, and Pidge were gathered inside. Shiro and Keith were still arguing. Allura seemed exasperated and Pidge looked like they were trying to make some modifications but glared at Keith on occasion. Sarah walked over to Pidge. “Hey, could you load this?” she asked, holding out her holodrive.

 

“Sure.” Pidge replied, raising an eyebrow. 

 

Sarah moved to the center of the room as Pidge launched her map. Shiro and Keith had stopped arguing and were watching the small humans, confused. 

 

Pidge flashed her a thumbs up and she nodded. Catching Keith’s eye, hers narrowed. “Who’s useless now, bitch?” she spat, motioning for her map to expand, taking up the entire room. “The planets marked in red are all the planets that have been reported as becoming suddenly dead and barren within the last year.” she began, walking around the room. “The flashing white line represents Zarkon’s movements in the same period of time. It’s not completely accurate because no one wants to get too close to him. But the margin of error is irrelevant at this point.” 

 

“Why do you say that?” Keith asked bitterly. 

 

As an answer, Sarah pulled up the video. Everyone watched in horror as an entire planet was drained of its quintessence by Zarkon’s ship. When the video ended, she minimised it. “I’ve been tracking the reports of dead planets for the past year, part of an online group trying out find out what’s happening. I didn’t make the Zarkon connection until more recently, but I didn’t know what was going on…..so I didn’t tell anyone…” she said sheepishly. “I didn’t want to alarm anyone if there was no cause for it…..but I just got that video….”

 

“You think….Zarkon is robbing planets of quintessence?” Allura asked, eyes wide and frightened. 

 

Shiro approached her and grabbed her hands. “Sarah….who sent you the video?” 

 

“A…friend…….I….I don’t think they…” she said haltingly. Shiro nodded grimly and pulled her into a hug. 

 

“Do you think Zarkon might’ve traced the video here? If they got to….your contact?” Keith asked, staring at the map. 

 

“Not possible.” Sarah said matter of factually. Keith looked at her skeptically. “I’ve been keeping an eye on Galra movements for years. I’ve taken the necessary precautions. They can’t track any signal in my network cause it bounces around all over. It confuses trackers.” 

 

“You never told us that.” Allura said, a question in her tone. 

 

Sarah blushed, sheepish. “It’s nothing major…I can’t pinpoint anything. It mostly started cause….my home, Zarkon hasn’t reached it. It’s been a free system for over a thousand years. Some of us realised it could only last so long so….some people started tracking Galra movements and putting them up online and…” she shrugged. 

 

“Guess you aren’t completely useless.” Keith said in a low voice, leaving the control room. Sarah smirked triumphantly.


	13. Responsible

“Wait…” Pidge said, as Sarah was about to return to her ship. “We need to talk to both of you.”

 

“We?” Allura asked, confused. 

 

Pidge nodded. “Keith is right about one thing.” The Green Paladin held up their hand when Shiro began to speak, quieting him. “You were reckless. You both get that way when something happens to the other. You need to realise you’re part of a team. Whether you like it or not…” Pidge looked at Sarah intently. “You are part of a team.”

 

It occurred to Sarah that she hadn’t really thought of herself as part of the team. Even though she had helped out on missions, she just saw herself as an extra, but not a member. Though they were being reprimanded, she felt a happy cloud form within her. 

 

Shiro sighed. “Yea…we definitely need to work on some things.”

 

Allura nodded. “Perhaps, we can train Sarah in hand to hand combat? Amongst other things?” she suggested, looking hopefully to the small human girl. 

 

“Sure.” she shrugged. “Can’t hurt. And I’ve been looking into White Magic, there’s not a whole lot out there, but there is a way to better conserve energy.”

 

“If you need any help, i can look through the castle. There’s bound to be something here, even if I haven’t seen it.” the Princess said, beaming. 

 

“Oh, yay!” Sarah said, clapping excitedly. 

 

“But first…” Shiro said, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Let’s figure some things out among ourselves, yea?” he asked, steering Sarah out the door. 

 

A few moments later they were sitting on Shiro’s bed, facing each other. “Where’d you wanna start?” Sarah asked, hugging her teddy bear.

 

“Honestly I’m not sure….Pidge has a point. I’m the Black Paladin, head of Voltron. I should know better….Not to say any of it’s your fault!” he added hastily. “You’ve saved my life more times than I can count.” Sarah smiled, fiddling with the hem of her skirt. “I’ve never really been in a serious relationship before, so….” he trailed off, lowering his gaze to the floor. 

 

Sarah chuckled. “You and me both. I was always either on my computer or reading a book. That didn’t leave much time for dating.”

 

He smiled. “We….we should probably stop lone-wolfing it…when it comes to um…us.” he said awkwardly. Sarah nodded, her eyes downcast and unfocused as she absentmindedly played with her skirt. “And….maybe if one of us gets captured….we don’t jump the gun and set off on a reckless rescue mission.” 

 

He watched her face carefully, but she could easily keep her expression blank when she wanted. She knew he was watching for any little thing, and she needed to work a few things out before she could address how she felt. 

 

“I think I can do that.” she said softly after a moment. “I can be a team player. Can’t say I’ll like it all that much. But it needs to be….”

 

Shiro reached over and took her hand, squeezing it. “It doesn’t mean we don’t love each other. It just means we’re being responsible.” She looked up at him, smiling shyly. He returned her small smile and rose up onto his knees, leaning over and cradling her face with his human hand. “We’ll get through this, yea?” He chuckled when she nodded wordlessly, a slight blush spreading across her face, and closed the gap, kissing her. She draped one of her arms around his neck, still holding the bear. “Could we set the bear aside for now?” he asked, breaking away. 

 

Sarah mock pouted. “Fine.” she said, gently setting the pink bear on the floor. She giggled as they quickly resumed their activity, falling back on the bed.


	14. Wretched Hive

Sarah and Allura were sitting at the long dining table, surrounded by papers, maps, and holodrives.

 

“Well, the Alrussians are a no go.” Allura sighed, making a note.

 

“If they’re anything like how you guys described, I’m not all that surprised.” Sarah said, adding the paper she was writing on to a stack to her left.

 

Allura had stayed true to her word and contacted as many of the planets they had saved as she could. Unfortunately, very few had any kind of standing army, and those that did were hesitant to join the fight against Zarkon. Sarah’s master plan wasn’t panning out quite as she had hoped.

 

“We need some serious numbers if this s going to work.” she groaned, laying her head on the table. Allura nodded, looking over a map of the quadrant they were in.

 

“We are getting pretty desperate.” the Altean said wearily.

 

Desperate is right, Sarah thought. Reminds me of….Her train of thought began to veer wildly off course, moving from a childhood memory, to a movie she used to watch a lot, to the time she was bullied at the alien school, which brought up- “Oh.” she murmured, eyes focusing back to the present.

 

“What is it?” Allura asked, moving some papers to the side.

 

“Um…” Sarah hesitated, sitting up straight. She was generally reluctant to talk about him, but desperate times….

 

“Something up?” Shiro asked, entering the room. He was still in his Paladin armour, having only just returned from answering a distress call. He slipped his helmet off and sat next to Sarah.

 

“Sarah and I were just talking about how we’re getting kind of desperate, with this part of her plan.” Allura answered, interlocking her fingers and resting her chin in them as she looked expectantly at Sarah. “So…?”

 

Sarah busied herself with a stack of papers, making them neat and flush, as she tried to think of how to begin. “Have you heard of Vaynov?”

 

Allura shook her head, but, surprisingly, Shiro spoke up. “Yea, it’s like the headquarters of some crime syndicate….nexon? Nebula? I can’t remember…”

 

“It’s Nitro.” Sarah said softly. “The largest crime syndicate in the universe.”

 

“What does a criminal organisation have to do with anything?” Allura asked skeptically.

 

Sarah took a deep breath. “Don’t judge me….my older brother….he’s the head boss of Nitro.” she said, avoiding their gaze.

 

“What? Really?” Shiro asked, surprised, turning his seat to face her.

 

“I still don’t see what it has to do with our problem.” Allura said, growing impatient.

 

“He has numbers. Krisox united fourteen separate crime organisations under one banner.” Sarah said, nervously glancing at them.

 

“And you want to ask him to help us?” Shiro filled in uncertainly. Sarah nodded.   
“Why haven’t you brought him up before?”

 

“Well…..he kind of….left the family. And I don’t think we’ve really talked much since, he never much liked me to begin with and I can’t say I cared for him.” she said, shrugging.

 

“What makes you think he’ll help us then?” Allura asked, confused.

 

“Zarkon has Kayla.” Sarah replied simply. “Everybody loves Kayla. If I tell him that….he’ll join us, I’m sure.”

 

Allura sighed, looking at the papers scattered around them. They desperately needed some kind of army. “We don’t really have much choice, do we?” she asked bleakly. Sarah shook her head. “Well, how do we get there? When should we go?”

 

Sarah blinked. “Um…we…what?” she asked, confused.

 

“Did you intend to go alone?” Allura asked incredulously.

 

“Well, I mean…yea….its dangerous….”

 

“Which is why you aren’t going alone.” Shiro said firmly.

 

Sarah looked between the two of them and sighed. “Fine….But we’ll all need disguises of some sort.”

* * *

 

Three hours later and Sarah, Shiro, Allura, Keith, and Lance were gathered around Sarah’s ship, getting ready to go to Vaynov. Sarah hadn’t wanted anyone to go with her, and especially didn’t want a team of four with her, but didn’t feel like arguing and so went along with it. She made it very clear that Allura could not look Altean at all, and Keith and Lance were to wear hooded cloaks and hide their faces as much as possible. For Shiro, the best disguise would unfortunately bring back severely upsetting memories.

 

“You want him to dress up like a Galra prisoner?!” Keith yelled.

 

“I’m….I’m just saying…..his arm is very clearly Galra…..he wouldn’t be the only….we can find something else….” she stammered, upset. She hated suggesting it, she hated that it reminded Shiro of his time as a Galra captive. But it was the best disguise.

 

“Hey, look, I’ll do it ok? If Sarah says its the way to go, then it must be. This is her mission and she knows the lay of the land.” Shiro said, taking the purple cloth from her. She noticed his hands were shaking slightly.

 

“I’m sorry.” she whimpered, hugging him.

 

“Its….its ok.” he said, kissing her on the head. “What did you mean by ‘not the only one’?”

 

Sarah pulled away, awkwardly fidgeting. “You….you weren’t the first gladiator….to escape….” she murmured, avoiding his gaze, her eyes glistening with tears.

 

“Ready when you are, Sarah.” came Allura’s voice from a creature with green and yellow scales.

 

Sarah nodded, tossing a black poncho to Allura and pulling on her own old, dark cloak. Everything on Vaynov was dark, and it was imperative that they didn’t stand out.

 

Allura gave Coran the designated signal over comms, and the team squeezed into Sarah’s ship as the castle made a wormhole jump. The plan was to have the castle wait at the far edge of the Vaynov system, and they would make their approach in Sarah’s small, but mostly undetectable, ship. They would be dropped off on the surface, and her ship would then orbit the planet. It was modified and programmed to return to her on command, and it was safest for it to be in orbit instead of on the ground. Sarah sat in the pilot chair and started her ship, that she called Darling, up so it was ready to go. Though she never turned around on the trip to Vaynov, she could feel Keith glaring at her, and she deeply regretted saying anything. It would have been much better if she could have gone alone.

* * *

 

As they entered the polluted atmosphere, Sarah gave more instructions for when they were on the ground. Allura was to be in the middle, flanked by Keith and Lance. Sarah would lead the way with Shiro beside her. She circled a shanty-town near what looked like a red light district, looking for a temporary landing platform. She spotted a large, flat roof on a decrepit building that looked on the verge of falling apart. After gently landing and opening the hatch, she input the previously programmed instructions and hopped out, just as her ship closed the hatch and took off for the upper atmosphere.

 

The team was silent as they reached the street. It was narrow and dirty and dark, the only light coming from what looked like neon signs a few blocks ahead. Eerie, silent eyes watched them go, but everyone kept their eyes downcast as Sarah had instructed. She had only been to Vaynov twice before, but remembered each visit vividly. The first time, she had accidentally snuck aboard Krisox’s ship during a game of hide and seek. He was going to meet with some associate’s and was furious when he found the small human girl cowering in the corner. Unwilling to leave her alone, he brought her with him, whispering instructions angrily the whole way. The second time, she and Kayla had come of their own volition to see their recently estranged brother. Sarah had disguised them well, and it took some convincing for the bouncer to let them in. Krisox was impressed they had come to see him and actually made it in one piece. As a precaution, he had their pictures taken and hung up, so they’d be recognised as untouchable, and he implanted a chip in both girls’ right arm, something that would instantly identify them as his family. She rubbed her arm where the chip was nervously, hoping it still worked.

 

When the reached the lit up area, it became difficult to stay together. Sarah ordered them to hold hands and to not let go as she weaved through the crowd. Though she moved deftly between drunks, Shiro kept a firm grip on her hand. Soon, the crowd thinned out, and Sarah approached a dilapidated building with a red neon arrow pointing at the door. She knocked. After a second, someone slid open a small slot in the otherwise featureless door. Sarah held up her exposed right arm to it, smiling a little when she heard the machine ding.

 

When the door opened, she held up her hand, fingers spread wide, wordlessly telling the bouncer how many were in her party. The gruff alien nodded and waved them into the dark room. Once inside, they heard and felt music reverberating from deeper within the building. It was a very private club, or at least it pretended to be; Sarah knew Krisox lived and did business here. She led them through the dimly lit halls towards the back of the building. They passed two rooms that were full of people dancing to loud music. As the beat grew faint, they came upon another featureless door guarded by a bouncer. Sarah stopped in front of him.

 

“I’m here to see my brother.” she said, removing her hood.

 

“Who is your brother, munchkin?” he asked, skeptical.

 

She was about to responded when a large female alien rushed over and shooed him away. “My apologies, miss, he is new.” she said, opening the door.

 

Sarah simply nodded, and walked through. Inside, her brother was lounging with a few aliens of varying species and genders. She cleared her throat and he turned his large, muted red eyes to her and smiled devilishly.

 

“Sister, dear.” he said after sending his consorts away. He rose and moved to stand in front of her, towering over her ever so slightly.   
“What brings you all the way out here? And with…” His eyes moved over the other four in her party. “…friends.”

 

“I need your help with something.” she said, trying to keep her voice neutral. She absolutely hated the way he was looking at her team.

 

“Really? From what I hear, you’ve fallen in a crowd that would give enough help for whatever your problem might be.”

 

She glared at his orange scales, avoiding his eyes. “That’s not really relevant right now.”

 

“Oh I think I disagree. Yes, word on the street is you’ve become best buds with the Voltron Paladins and an Altaen princess.” he said lightly, watching her closely. Her tightening her fist was enough of an answer. “So what could it possibly be that you had to come to me for help?” he asked smirking.

 

Sarah rose her glare to meet his gaze. “Zarkon has Kayla.”

 

Krisox’s arrogant demeanor fell. “Aw, shit. How’d that happen?”

 

“I don’t really know.”

 

“He probably has mom and dad too.” he said, nonchalant as he turned and returned to his seat.

 

Sarah stared at him blankly. “Wha-? Where’d you get that from?”

 

“Well, see, I’ve actually kept frequent contact with our dear sister, and happen to know she was staying with them. And that was the last I heard.” Krisox reached into a bin and grabbed a drink. “A week later, I heard through the grapevine that Zarkon finally broke through Stiea K2′s defenses.”

 

“Oh…”

 

“Yea, that was kind of my reaction. Now…” he leaned over, resting his elbows on his legs. “What I’d like to know, is how you heard about Kayla, but not our parents.”

 

Sarah grabbed for Shiro’s hand, needing the reassuring pressure and warmth. He caught hers and squeezed it. “There were….prisoner transfer records we received that stated she was being moved….to Zarkon’s central command.” she said haltingly.

 

“And why would they do a thing like that?” her brother asked, his arrogance resurfacing. He was baiting her, she knew that in the back of her mind, but felt powerless and pressed on.

 

“I….kind of had a run in with Zarkon’s head druid.” she answered, mumbling at the end.

 

Krisox’s red eyes grew wide and a nasty smile formed on his face. “You have been rambunctious, haven’t you? I thought you were too afraid to use white magic.”

 

“Circumstances change.” she growled. “Will you help us or not?”

 

“Depends on what you need.” he said airily, leaning back.

 

“We need an army. An armada. To take on Zarkon’s forces.”

 

“That really is a tall order. I’ll see what I can do.” He took a long swig from his bottle. “You’re lucky Kayla is virtually worshiped around here.” Sarah raised a questioning eyebrow. “She’s visited pretty regularly, and always gives food and clothing to the bums. She’s the patron saint of this area.”

 

“Yea, that sounds like Kayla.” Sarah said softly, smiling.

 

“So I presume you’re done here?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Alright. You’ll hear from me in a week. Leave out the back.” he said, waving towards the door behind him.

 

Sarah marched out, muttering good bye as she passed Krisox. The team exited the building onto an empty alley. “We could probably get Darling on the roof….” she murmured, half to herself. She could feel the awkward tension between her and the group and wanted to ignore it for as long as possible. She led the way up the ladder, calling Darling with her omniphone as she did. By the time everyone was on the roof, her ship was lowering to them, the hatch opening. After they all climbed in, Sarah took it off the pre-programmed autopilot.

 

“Shiro…?” she started wearily. “Would you mind….?” Shiro nodded and took the controls. Sarah sat on the floor and wrapped her arms around her knees, closing her eyes. She just wanted to sleep forever. She hated talking to her brother, it generally always left her feeling emotionally drained and disgusting.


	15. Brother

After Shiro safely returned the team to the castle and landed Sarah’s craft in the the hanger, Sarah made a beeline for Shiro’s room (which was partially hers, too). All she wanted to do was sleep, but when she reached the room and fell onto the bed, she found she could not quiet her mind. Groaning, she grabbed her pink teddy bear and held it close, turning to face the wall. 

 

After a moment, the door opened, and a second later someone sat on the bed next to her. “Do…you wanna talk about?” Shiro asked uncertainly. 

 

Sarah sighed and then pushed herself up to a sitting position. “Not really, but I suppose its warranted.” 

 

“You don’t have to if you really don’t want to.”

 

“I should though.” she said, giving him a small smile. She hugged her knees, trapping her bear between her legs and torso. It took her a moment to figure out where to start, as her mind felt like a tangled mess. Shiro waited patiently, swinging his legs up onto the bed and leaning against the wall opposite her. “When…we were rescued, mom and dad kind of threw everything they had into raising us. We were an alien species far from our home planet and they were learning as they went. I know they received grants from several institutes, to help raise us. They had to give yearly reports and pass it off as a case study, but I know they really loved us. I think….I think they thought Krisox would understand. They were paying closer attention to us because we had different needs. They weren’t intentionally ignoring him. I don’t know if they ever talked about it.” She sighed, taking a brief pause. “He got the wrong idea and…kind of left the family….” she trailed off, leaning her forehead on her knees. 

 

“Did they not try to reach out to him?” 

 

“They did, but they like…couldn’t. I don’t remember exactly what was up. But he like totally vanished. It wasn’t until he wrote to Kayla that any of us had an idea what happened. I remember mom and dad were so scared that he might have died….” She pulled her head up and rested her chin on her knees, looking him over with owlish eyes. “That was when Kayla and I went to Vaynov to see him. He was quite impressed. We were in huge trouble when we got home, we had stolen our parents ship and…”

 

“You guys went to Vaynov by yourself?” Shiro asked, alarmed. Sarah nodded, wordlessly. “Why? Didn’t you know then what the planet was?” 

 

“Yea. But Kayla was beside herself. She just wanted to see him and make sure he was ok. And I wasn’t about to let her go there alone.” She shrugged and Shiro nodded understandingly. 

 

“That doesn’t quite explain why you two were so…hostile.” 

 

Sarah rested her forehead on her knees again. “He never much liked me. Kayla’s easy to like. She’s an angel. I was quite and a nervous wreck most of the time. He didn’t really stick around long enough for me to sort that out and get better.”

 

“That’s a pity,” Shiro began, reaching for her hand. She looked up, eyes slightly wet. “You’re a fantastic person.” Sarah smiled, taking his hand and squeezing it. 

 

“You’re sweet.” she said, relaxing. “I think I will try and sleep now….” she murmured, letting her head fall backwards onto the pillow. 

 

“Ok. I’m gonna go do maintenance on Black.” he said, sliding off the bed. He kissed her hand before heading for the door. “Sleep well. I’ll try not to wake you later.” 

 

“Mmmhmmm..”Sarah mumbled, already drifting off. 


	16. Research

“Hmmmm….” Sarah murmured, staring at the mess of books and maps on the floor in front of her. She and Allura had spent the past month going through all of the castle’s resources for anything to do with magic. It was a nice palette cleanser, wiping away the nasty taste her brother always left. The girls had found a great deal, but most of it was in the form of legends or myths or children’s tales. Sarah felt that they could find something concrete if they compared the various tales and cross referenced them with maps of various planets and systems. Allura sat across the pile from her, writing down notes as she reread one of the myth books. Sarah sighed, resting her face in her hands, her feet crossed in the air behind her. 

 

“Something wrong?” Allura asked, not glancing up from her notes. 

 

“I feel like we are very close, and its right in front of us but I’m just missing something obvious.” 

 

“What’s right in front of us?” the Princess asked perplexed. 

 

“I don’t know….an answer, a location, an X on the map marking the spot….something, anything that would actually get us somewhere.” She crossed her arms on the floor in front of her, resting her head and hiding her face; Sarah had started to feel her concentration slipping away, which was always frustrating when there was work to be done. 

 

“Hey, wasn’t there a child’s tale that mentioned a mountain that glittered like a lot of jewels or something?” Allura asked. 

 

Sarah looked up, resting her chin on her crossed arms. “Um….yes. I think there might have been a few variations of it, too. Why?”

 

“This passage mentions mountains like that. And I recall that book on peculiar planets said that there’s a system of planets famous for their large quantities of precious gems.”

 

Sarah furrowed her brow and pushed herself into a sitting position, thinking. “Wasn’t that system like completely abandoned cause the environment is too hostile?” 

 

“Yes, maybe…” the Altean said, searching through their mess for the book. “It’s the first lead we have though. Aha!” She tugged the thick tome out from under a few map and set it in her lap, flipping through eagerly. “Yes, here….the Aywei system….said to be too inhospitable to even travel through, though this is based on eyewitness testimony only.” She raised a curious brow, looking up at Sarah. 

 

“Where is it located?” the small human asked excitedly, crawling around the sprawling mess to sit beside her. 

 

Allura scanned the book with her finger. “Hm…It doesn’t give anything concrete, but it says its near the Becreth Nebula. Yes, the Becreth Nebula and the….Avix Vortex? That doesn’t sound safe.”

 

Sarah shrugged. “So we don’t go in the Vortex.” Allura giggled. “Do you know where that Nebula is?” 

 

“Vaguely. If we go to the control room I’m sure I could find it easily.”

 

“Well lets go!” Sarah said excitedly, jumping to her feet.

 

“Yes, so here’s the Nebula…” Allura said a short time later in the control room, moving the holographic map with her hands. “There doesn’t seem to be a whole lot around it, I don’t see a vortex or a system or anything.”

 

Sarah stared at the empty space. “You think maybe the castle’s maps are incomplete?” 

 

“Maybe….I can’t see how that’d be possible, but I suppose it is.” 

 

“Could be like in Star Wars, someone erased it. Or maybe it was just purposely….not put in the map?” she shrugged. “Wanna check it out regardless?” 

 

“Check what out?” Shiro asked, entering the room. 

 

“We might have a lead in the magic research!” Sarah said, hopping excitedly. 

 

“That’s great!” 

 

“Its bizarre for it not to be in the castle’s memory though.” Allura murmured, troubled. 

 

“What is it, a planet? A system?” he asked, hands on his hips as he looked at the map taking up the room. 

 

“A system.” Sarah said, moving to point out where it supposedly was. “Book said it was near this Nebula and a vortex. So it should be around here.” She waved her hands in the prominent empty space. “But for some reason the castle isn’t showing anything.”

 

“Reminds of Star wars a bit.” he chuckled. 

 

“That’s what I said!” the small girl said cheerfully, high-fiving him. 

 

“I suppose its worth a look.” Allura said, turning off the holo-map.

 

“Great, when do we leave?” Shiro asked, playfully poking Sarah. 

 

“We? No no, this is a mission for Sarah and I. You are needed here, with your lion.” the Princess said sternly. 

 

Shiro’s smile faded slightly. “But…I mean, are you sure?” he asked uneasily, looking to Sarah. 

 

“Yea, we’ll be fine.” she said brightly. “We’ll take Darling, she’s a tank. Hey,” Sarah said softly, wrapping her arms around his neck. “We’ll be ok. It’s mostly just a recon mission anyway. There might actually be nothing there.” She smiled as Shiro nodded, and rose to her tippy-toes to kiss him. 

 

“Shall we get ready?” Allura asked, moving for the door. 

 

“Yes, lets!” Sarah said, bounding excitedly after her.


	17. An Unexpected Meeting

“We’re nearing the Nebula now.” Sarah said from the pilot seat. They had been able to use a wormhole jump to get close, but as they weren’t totally sure what they’d find, it had been a few hours away. “I guess its that mess right ahead of us?” she asked, lowering the opacity of the hud so they could see out the window better. 

 

“Must be.” Allura said from over the human girl’s shoulder. “Its exactly where the map said it would be. Do you see a vortex of some sort?” 

 

Sarah couldn’t see anything with the naked eye, so she raised the opacity of the hud and analysed the radar. “Looks like there’s something just past it. Readings are fuzzy for everything in between though.”

 

“Well, lets check it out then. Could be that the interference from the nebula and the vortex masks the system from scanners.” 

 

Sarah nodded and pressed on carefully. 

* * *

“Well, what’dya know? There is a hidden system.” Sarah said brightly as a string of planets came into view on the scanner. “Now to find which one we can actually safely land on.” 

 

The girls stared in awe as they passed the first of the planets. The planet seemed to shimmer and glint like a precious jewel. It wasn’t until they reached the third planet that Darling’s scanners detected solid land and breathable air. 

 

“That’s lucky. Shall we?”

 

“Didn’t you tell Shiro this was going to be recon only?” Allura asked skeptically. 

 

“I said it would be _mostly_ recon. I didn’t say it was going to be _all_ recon.”

 

The Princess laughed. “Clever. I suppose we might as well, since we’re already here.”

* * *

Sarah landed Darling on a vibrant green plateau amidst a massive valley. When the girls disembarked, they took a moment to look around in awe. The mountains and sides of the valley were covered in lush green forest, with the exception of the mountains’ peaks; the tops of the mountains gleamed in the sunlight like a million jewels. They were all different colours, and it seemed the entire mountain itself was one solid gem. 

 

“Well, there’s the gemstone mountains.” Sarah said, placing her hands on her hips and turning to face Allura. “Now what?”

 

“I don’t quite know. I suppose we explore.” she said, shrugging. 

 

“Sounds good to me!” 

 

Using their jetpacks, the girls gently descended into the bright green forest on the valley floor. It seemed they arrived in the early morning, as they had several hours of light. The sun had just passed its apex when they decided to take a break and eat something. Allura passed a packet of travel food to Sarah before opening her own. As they ate, they commented on the flora and fauna of the gem planet, and marveled at the gemstones that peaked out of the ground beneath them. 

 

Sarah was wondering about the core makeup of the planet as she looked around curiously when her eyes caught sight of something strange in the cliff face. “Hey, you see that over there? It’s like…a cave opening. But there’s decoration around it.”

 

Allura followed her gaze, and her eyebrows rose, curious. “That doesn’t look natural.” she commented, as they both rose and started towards it. 

 

It took them a bit to navigate through the under brush. When they reached the opening, they stared in awe for a moment. “This is huge.” Sarah whispered; Allura nodded. They both pulled out their omniphones and turned on the devices’ bright lights. 

 

The path inside initially sloped straight downward, before easing into a spiral. The outside natural light reflected off the gemstone walls; it was quite a while before they lost it. Soon afterwards, the passage leveled out and opened into a huge chamber that resembled a cathedral. It was almost as if it was carved out of the giant blue-green gem mountain. Flora covered most of the floor and had begun crawling up the walls, reaching so high the girls lost sight of it in the inky black of the ceiling. They couldn’t quite make anything out, which confused them; if this was made entirely out of gemstone, shouldn’t the light reflect more and reveal the roof? 

 

In the middle of the cavernous room stood a stone pedestal. Resting on it was what looked like a book as old as the universe. Sarah cautiously approached it. It felt like something was pulling her to to the tome. Allura didn’t seem to notice, still looking around at the room at large. Sarah reached for the book and opened it gently. 

 

Something massive deep within the earth shifted suddenly, causing the girls to fall over as the ground shook violently. “What was that?” Allura asked, alarmed. Almost as suddenly as it had come, it ceased. The pedestal’s intricate carvings began to glow white. This spread until the entire roomed looked as though it had glowing veins running through it. 

 

The girls got to their feet and huddled close together, not sure what was happening. They heard movement above them and looked to see dust trickle down. Something large above them unfurled itself and began climbing down the walls. As it came into view, Sarah gasped. 

 

“A dragon?”


	18. Most Curious

“Shouldn’t we have heard back from them by now?” Shiro asked, pacing. It had been four days since Sarah and Allura had set off to find a system that may or may not exist. Everyday since, he would spend long hours in the control room, waiting for word from the girls. The night previous, Coran had to shoo him out; Shiro had started to doze off and didn’t realise it. He didn’t sleep well, and was back pacing in the control room early.

 

“I’m sure there’s no reason to worry.” Coran said, checking a few of the castle’s readings. Shiro noticed there was a tightness in the Altean’s face; he was worried too.

 

Both men turned as the door opened. “Still nothing?” Hunk asked, in between taking bites of fruit. Shiro shook his head. “I’m sure they’re fine.” the Yellow Paladin said, mouth slightly full. “Didn’t they tell you where they were going?” he asked, after swallowing.

 

“They couldn’t find the system on the maps, but said it was between the Becreth Nebula and some vortex.” Shiro said, moving to pull the map up.

 

“Well why don’t we just go there ourselves?” Hunk suggested, shrugging.

 

Shiro looked to Coran; he had suggested such a plan two days prior, but Coran said it would be too risky to use a wormhole to get the castle to unknown space. But now, the Altean sighed. “I suppose it couldn’t hurt. But not too close, we don’t know what’s there or what we’d be warping into.” Shiro nodded, slightly relieved; it felt good to at least do something, instead of just waiting around.

* * *

 

“So that must be the nebula,” Coran said, watching the map tracking their location. They had made a wormhole jump a good distance away, as they didn’t know what was around the nebula itself. “Looks like there’s a great deal of interference there.” Coran pointed to a fuzzy area just beyond.

 

“Might be where the system is.” Pidge suggested, taking their own readings on their laptop.

 

“It’s worth a look, but I don’t know if the castle would-” Shiro started, before being interrupted by a beeping. The hud announced they were receiving a call from Darling. Coran quickly opened it, and Allura’s face took up most of the hud.

 

“Hello everyone!” she said brightly, before turning to look over her shoulder. “Sarah, I’ve got them, they’re within range.”

 

“They came out here?” Sarah asked from off screen, puzzled.

 

“I guess so.” Allura turned back to the screen. “Thought we were going have to fly Darling past the nebula to get a message to you.”

 

“What did you find?” Shiro asked urgently. “Are you both ok?”

 

“Oh yes, we’re fine. You wouldn’t believe it if I told you….You’d really have to see it to be honest.”

 

“Yea, tell ‘em to come!” Sarah said excitedly, still off screen.

 

“What’s Sarah doing?” Shiro asked, concerned now.

 

“She’s…ah….” Allura looked over her shoulder. “Sarah what would you call it?”

 

“Uh….I think the closest thing would be studying.”

 

“She’s….studying, I suppose.”

 

The Paladins and Coran looked at each other questioningly. “Studying?” Pidge asked after a moment.

 

“I mean, not exactly but….you’d have to be here, you’ll understand if you can see it. Coran,” the Princess said, her eyes moving to him. “Do you think you could maneuver the castle past the nebula? The Aywei system is right past it. I Think the nebula combined with….the planets’ odd properties really mess with scanners and such. I’ll send our location to you now.” Coran nodded, and opened them when they popped up. “There’s a large, green plateau in the middle of a valley, set the castle down there alright? See you all soon!”

 

“Allura, wait-” Shiro began, but the Princess had already disconnected.

 

“That was very…vague.” Hunk said finally.

 

“Yea. Well, let’s find out what they found!” Lance said, rubbing his hands together excitedly.

* * *

 

Just as Allura had said, there was a large, bright green plateau, big enough for them to land the castle on. A short distance away, close to the edge, was Darling. As the Paladins and Coran disembarked, Allura stepped out of Darling to greet them.

 

“Welcome!” she said, giggling, as she ran up and hugged Coran and then the others.

 

Shiro returned her smile but his eyes scanned the surrounding nervously. “Where’s Sarah?”

 

“She’s with Niruth, they’ll be here in a second. Sarah insisted on a grand entrance.” Allura answered, waving them over to Darling.

 

“Who’s Niruth?” Keith asked as they followed the Princess.

 

“I’m not going to spoil their entrance.” Allura said, laughing. “They should be here any second…”

 

For a brief second, all they could hear was the wind blowing through the trees. Pidge and Hunk were mesmerised by the landscape, and Lance couldn’t stop staring in awe at the mountains. Then the sound of large wings moving through the air reached them. Before they knew it, a large, white dragon with feathery wings flew up, circled them, and then landed between the castle and Darling. As it folded its wings, a small form waved and then slid down.

 

Relieved, Shiro ran up to her, picking her up and swinging her around. “I was so worried, I thought you said it was just going to be recon?”

 

Sarah giggled, blushing slightly. “I said mostly recon. If there wasn’t a system we would have just turned back. But since there was, I mean, we had to check things out!”

 

“You wanna explain uh….?” Lance asked, catching up to them.

 

“Oh, this is Niruth! She’s a dragon! Earth may not have any, but at least they exist!” she said excitedly, taking Shiro by the hand and dragging him over to the white beast. “She’s my mentor.” he said, gently stroking the creature above the eyes.

 

“Uh…your mentor?”

 

“Yea, in White Magic. This system’s planets channel the universe’s quintessence like no other place in the universe. It’s the best place to learn how to really become one with the universe and like…stuff….” she ended feebly, shrugging.

 

“So…she can talk?” Pidge asked curiously.

 

“In a manner of speaking, yes.” an angelic voice said in their heads. Hunk and Lance gasped, Pidge mouthed “whoa”, Keith’s eyes widened, and Shiro stared at Niruth in disbelief.

 

“So, how did you uh….?” Pidge trailed off, unsure how to word their question.

 

“Sarah,” Niruth said in everyone’s heads as the small girl turned. “Tell them about the past few days. I’m going to swim in the lake.” As she stood and spread her wings, everyone back away slightly. “Call me when you’re done, and we may begin again.” Sarah nodded and Niruth took off, flying past the valley edge and out of sight.

 

“Ok where to begin um….might wanna go into the castle and take a seat.” she giggled nervously.


	19. Niruth

The Paladins, Allura, Coran, and Sarah gathered in the lounge, settling in for what could be a long story. Shiro sat close to Sarah, wrapping an arm around her midsection and holding her close as she thought about where to begin. 

 

“I should probably preface by saying that time works….strangely here. The story might not make sense otherwise.” she began. 

 

“What do you mean?” Keith asked, raising an eyebrow. 

 

“How many days has it been since we left?” Allura interjected. 

 

“Um….four I think?” 

 

“Yea, for us, its been a month.” Sarah said plainly. 

 

“How is that possible?” Pidge asked incredulously. 

 

Sarah shrugged. “I mean, time works differently the smaller you get. And if you go like super fast. Or if you’re paying extra close attention to the present moment. This whole system….there’s enormous quantities of quintessence passing through the planets at any given moment. The concentration of it messes with scanners and our perception of time.”

 

“Okay, you two have been here for….awhile.” Shiro said, still rather confused. “Tell us what happened.” 

 

“Okay, I’ll start with when we first got here….”

* * *

Sarah and Allura stared in awe as the dragon rose its head above them. “ _Who are you, and why have you disturbed the book?_ ” the girls heard in their mind. They looked to each other, eyes wide, before Allura responded. 

 

“We’re looking for answers….I’m Princess Allura of Altea, and this is Sarah, she’s a….a White Witch.”

 

The dragon’s eyes widened curiously. “ _And here I thought there were no more who practised White Magic. It has been a millennia since the last White Witch came here to study._ ”

 

“So….” Sarah began tentatively. “This….I can…learn here?”

 

The dragon nodded. “ _You can learn to better harmonise with the universe. This would make a White Magic user more powerful, and they would be able to manage their usage of their own quintessence better._ ”

 

Sarah sighed, relieved. “Oh so there is a way, that’s great-”

 

“ _But before you learn, I must see if you are worthy of the teachings from the book._ ” 

 

“Um…” the small girl blinked. “Sure. What do I need to uh…do?”

 

A few hours later, Sarah was sitting on the floor of the cavernous room, facing the dragon, who had introduced herself as Niruth. The white, feathered dragon was curled around the pedestal, turning the pages of the ancient book carefully with her ivory claws. “ _The quintessence seems to flow around you rather fluidly. There isn’t any sign of you using Dark Magic. I would see little pockets of entropy around you if that were the case._ ”

 

Sarah nodded, eyes wide in wonder. Niruth had been examining her for what felt like an eternity, but she was still in awe of the fact that dragons existed and she was in the presence of one. The creature had said that examining her quintessence aura was only the first step in determining if Sarah was of worthy caliber for the ancient teaching. The small human hadn’t bothered to inquire after the other steps, as she figured they’d reach them in good time. 

 

“ _Okay. I am pleased with what I see here. Now I need to attest the extent of your prior training._ ”

 

“Okay, uh, how do we do that?” Sarah asked, rising to her feet as Niruth rose to hers. 

 

“ _You must open your mind to me. I will peruse your memories. This could be easy or it could be hard, it all depends on you._ ”

 

“Just tell me what I need to do.” she said brightly. 

 

“ _Relax your mind._ ” the white dragon said, approaching her. She stopped when her face was right in front of Sarah’s, the dragon’s pale blue eyes piercing into her stormy blue ones. “ _Close your eyes if it helps._ ”

 

But Sarah didn’t. She stared almost unblinking at the dragon, feeling herself relax in a way she never had before. It felt as if she were watching a movie of her life play at an insanely high speed. Before she knew it, Niruth broke away; Sarah gasped and fell backwards, holding her head as it began to ache. 

 

“ _That will be enough for this day. Rest. We will pick back up when the light comes again._ ” Niruth climbed up the gem walls, disappearing into the ceiling.

 

When Sarah reached the mouth of the cave, she saw the sun had sunk low in the sky. Allura had been lingering by the forest edge and ran up to her. “Are you okay? What all happened?” 

 

As the girls returned to Darling, Sarah recounted what had transpired. 

 

“That seems…good at least?” Allura said as they landed next to Sarah’s craft and shut off their jetpacks. 

 

“I’m hoping so!” Sarah said, yawning. “You can take the pull out bed if you want, I don’t mind Darling’s floor.” 

 

“No, you should use the bed, we don’t know what kind of…training I suppose? Niruth might demand a lot. I’m perfectly fine with the floor.” Allura assured her.   
Sarah was too tired to argue, and fell asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow. 

* * *

Over the course of the next two weeks, Sarah spent her days in the gem cave with Niruth, always leaving precisely as the Sun was setting and returning the next day at first light. The dragon had insisted that Allura not be present for these sessions, so the Altean busied herself with studying the ecosystem and strange properties of the planet. It was quite the fascinating world. All the fauna she came across seemed to not mind her presence, and some had let the Princess approach them. The vivid green trees and brush were all edible and didn’t taste half bad. Upon inquiry, Niruth informed them that the intense concentration of quintessence made the flora extremely nutritious; she had lived off the greenery alone her whole life. Even Sarah, who was a notoriously picky eater, enjoyed the green leaves of the trees and brush. 

 

As the days wore on, Allura started to notice that Sarah was returning less and less drained; her sessions with the dragon seemed to be teaching her how to better conserve her energy. At the end of the second week, Niruth emerged from the cave with them, saying Sarah was ready for the next phase of teaching. Allura was permitted to be present, and was even encouraged to join in. The dragon, using the ancient book, explained the various stances and movements necessary to more effectively manipulate quintessence. Sarah compared it to yoga, a human exercise, and when she showed them pictures Niruth was impressed. 

 

Though Allura did not have baseline knowledge on White Magic, her training alongside Sarah helped her to be more attuned with the energy of the universe. It was a very enlightening experience, and the girls practised meditating in their free time. 

 

Soon after switching to the more physical teaching sessions, Sarah felt herself connect to the universe’s energy in an indescribable way. She fully opened her mind to Niruth, who forged a mental link between the two. This allowed the dragon to let Sarah see the world the way she did, which in turn helped the human girl learn to more efficiently manipulate quintessence. When browsing the girl’s memories once she saw Sarah’s dancing, and was curious to watch it live. She thought the graceful movements would help push and pull the flow of energy, and she was right. After some time, Niruth allowed her to practically train in the use of White Magic, and Sarah and Allura were amazed at the results. The abundance of quintessence made for a spectacular display, and the girls were buzzing about it for days afterwards. 

 

In between teaching sessions and sleeping, Niruth offered to fly the girls around the planet, that she called Leonia, showing them various ruins and old nesting grounds. She informed them that she was not the last dragon, but there were not many left. White Magic had fallen into obscurity soon after Black Magic was discovered, and many dragons were lost when they refused to teach the Dark Witches. In a last ditch effort to protect themselves and their secrets, the remaining dragons changed the flow of the universe’s energy so that Dark Witches and other such practitioners of Black Magic could not approach the Aywei system. This inadvertently hid them from White Witches as well, and the gem planets fell into myth and legend. 

* * *

Near the end of their first month on Leonia, Allura was in Darling trying to see if she could get a message to the castle. Sarah sat on the ground right outside the open hatch, meditating. She had connected her mind to Niruth, who was in the cavern reading the ancient book and conveying the information over their telepathic link. 

 

“Hello everyone!” Allura said suddenly. “Sarah, I’ve got them, they’re within range.”

 

“They came out here?” Sarah asked puzzled, not opening her eyes; she didn’t want to break the link. 

 

“I guess so.” Allura replied. “Thought we were going have to fly Darling past the nebula to get a message to you.” she said, her voice quieter slightly; Sarah presumed she had turned back to the display. 

 

She caught Shiro’s voice speaking to Allura and felt a strong urge to open her eyes and go to see him; but her and Niruth were not done and so she resisted with great difficulty. She missed him dearly, but knew she needed to stay and learn to use White Magic better. 

 

“ ….You’d really have to see it to be honest.” 

 

“Yea, tell ‘em to come!” Sarah said excitedly. She heard Shiro’s voice again, and then Allura relayed his question. 

 

“Uh….I think the closest thing would be studying.” 

 

“She’s….studying, I suppose.”

 

Allura rattled off instructions on how to reach them and then signed off. “They’ll be here soon.” she said, walking down Darling’s hatch. “How much longer do you think you have?”

 

Sarah relayed the question and the news of their friends imminent arrival to Niruth, who decided to take an early break and pick up again after they had welcomed their friends. _“Oh, but Niruth, do you think we could do something cool for when they get here?”_

 

_“What did you have in mind?”_

* * *

“….And then we came inside and here we are!” Sarah finished brightly, looking around at everyone. Allura laughed at their awed expressions. “It’s….quite a lot to take in, I suppose.” the small girl added sheepishly. 

 

“So…you’ve mentally connected with a dragon….” Hunk said uncertainly. 

 

“Yes.” 

 

“Is it like, like us with the lions?”

 

Sarah blinked and tilted her head to the side, thinking. “Uh….I mean maybe a little….? Like Niruth could bond with any White Witch who she thought worthy of her tutelage. So maybe not….I really don’t know, I’d have to ask.”

 

“Do you have to stay here for much longer?” Shiro asked, slightly uneasy. 

 

“Actually,” Allura said as Sarah was about to speak. “I was going to ask if Niruth would mind coming with us, in the castle. That way we can still help planets and Sarah can still train and we don’t have to split up. Do you think you could ask her tonight?” the Princess asked, turning to Sarah. 

 

“Worth a shot.” she said shrugging and smiling.


	20. New to the Team

It took a little convincing for Niruth to agree to Allura’s suggestion. She was confused when they tried explaining the Galra empire. “ _Zarkon? But I recall witches from two millennia ago discussing his conquest. Surely this cannot be the same Galra_.” She had to connect with Allura’s mind and view the Altean’s memories before she was convinced. It was then that she agreed to join them and stay in one of the castle hangers. 

 

After the dragon settled in and the team set off (Darling safely stashed in the hanger with the lions), Niruth asked to be filled in as much as possible with everything that transpired over the past several millennia. She had come into existence after the dragons hid the Aywei system from the rest of the universe, and so had lived mostly in isolation. She mentioned how more recently the flow of quintessence had changed, something that hadn’t happened before, but otherwise had no connection with the rest of the universe. 

 

“When did you start to notice this change?” Sarah asked uneasily, sitting cross-legged in front of the white creature. 

 

“ _About a year ago, I believe. It was very recently, I know that much._ ”

 

“I’ll uh…I’ll have to show you…you wouldn’t believe it otherwise….” the human girl said sadly. She pulled her omniphone out, browsing through its files. “You want to see through my eyes? Might be easier that way….” Niruth nodded, cautiously curious. 

 

After Sarah shared the video of Zarkon draining a planet of its quintessence, she looked up o find her mentor’s eyes wide, full of terror but also sad. “ _You’re right…_ ” she said after a moment. “ _I would not have believed you. His Dark Magic is too much, it is creating too much entropy….the flow of the universe’s quintessence…._ ” She paused, shaking her head and looking down. “ _I will do all I can to help you and your friends._ ” she said softly after a moment. “ _The Aywei system can purify quintessence  removing entropy, but this magnitude….it will never be the same again._ ”

 

The two sat in a depressing silence for a while. “Um…” Sarah began awkwardly. “Hunk had a question…I told him that we mentally linked, and he asked if it was anything like the Paladins and their lions?” 

 

Niruth tilted her head. “ _How do you mean?_ ”

 

“Well like…the Paladins have a special bond with their particular lion….something about their quintessence I think….? Allura’s better at explaining it.”

 

“ _Hmm….Voltron was before my time….if only the Paladins can connect to their lions, then no, I don’t believe so. I can make a mental link with any White Witch, as long as I deem them worthy._ ”

 

Sarah nodded. “That’s what I thought, but I wasn’t one hundred percent sure, so I said I’d ask.” She beamed proudly. 

 

Niruth smiled affectionately. “ _If you don’t mind, I think I’d like to study the lions’ quintessence. See if I can connect and communicate with them_.” 

 

“Sure!” Sarah said brightly, pushing herself to her feet. “I guess just give me a call if you need me.” 

 

The dragon closed her eyes as the small human skipped out. Niruth enjoyed Sarah’s seemingly boundless optimism, especially during the dark times she found herself in.


	21. In Her Slumber

“It’ll be okay, we’ll be okay.” Shiro said, holding her tightly and stroking the back of her head. 

 

Sarah tightened her grip around his neck, burying her face in his shoulder. She knew he was trying to be brave for her, and as much as she wanted to keep it together for him, she couldn’t fight the waves of anxiety and terror that left her a trembling mess. 

 

The two were in a Galra prison cell in Zarkon’s central command. Sarah was scared beyond belief and she knew Shiro was too, but he was very successful at hiding it. When they were brought in, both were de-weaponised; Shiro’s arm was disabled to the point where it might as well be human, and Sarah was injected with a serum that heavily inhibited her White Magic. She couldn’t think of a way out of their situation, and that made her all the more fearful. 

 

Sarah turned as the cell door opened, one arm still around Shiro. He shifted to a defensive position in front of her as three sentries and a Galra officer entered. “Restrain him. Hagger wants the girl.” he said. 

 

Shiro moved so fast she could barely keep up; it didn’t help that she felt like she was falling, like everything was unreal. Shiro moved fast but time seemed to drag by, until one of the sentries flung him against the side wall and he crumpled to the ground. “Shiro, no-!” she yelled, coming to the present. Her wide, fearful eyes found the Galra officer who was approaching her. Instinctively, she pressed herself against the wall, as if she could escape him. He signaled one of the sentries, who came to her side and roughly pulled her to her feet. The robot slapped hand cuffs on her and then tugged her out. Looking behind her she saw Shiro stirring. “He’s ok…” she whispered to herself. 

 

By the time he had reached his hands and knees, she was crossing the threshold. “Sarah!” he yelled, panicked. He made to stand up and run after her, but the Galra officer was ready and knocked the wind out of him. Shiro crumpled to the ground again, clutching his midsection.

 

“No, please, don’t hurt him!” Sarah cried, fully turned around now but being forced to walk backwards by two sentries. 

 

“Sarah…” she heard Shiro groan weakly as the other sentry and the officer closed the cell door behind them. 

 

“Just-it’ll be okay, yea?” she shouted down the hall; trying to be brave for him too little too late. The officer, frustrated by her slow progress, picked her up, draping her small form over his shoulder. She didn’t want to think about where they were taking her. 

 

When the officer’s heavy footfalls stopped, they were in a small, dark room. She couldn’t see much more than the floor from her position, but the Galra flipped her over onto a table roughly. “As you asked.” he said to the darkness.

 

“Thank you…” A dark voice slithered out of the darkness. “You may go now.” After the sentries and the officer left, Hagger partially emerged from the darkness. Sarah had never seen so much malice in a person’s eyes. “Shall we begin?”

* * *

Sarah woke with a start, gasping for air. She violently rolled out of bed and onto the floor, falling on her hands and knees. “Sarah?” Shiro asked, concerned. She heard him slid out of bed and crouch next to her on the floor. “What is it, what’s wrong? Did you have a nightmare?” 

 

Trembling, she didn’t know how to answer at first. She didn’t know if ‘nightmare’ was the right word. It had felt too real to be something as simple as that. “No…I….I don’t…” she said haltingly, still staring at the floor. 

 

Shiro gently cradled her face in his hands and brought her eyes to his. As they widened in concern and fear, she knew how she must have looked. Paler than ever, almost unblinking, wide, terrified eyes, and trembling; she was a mess. “What happened?” he asked, his voice soft but full of alarm. 

 

“I-we….we were captured and….Hagger, she wanted….” she said as she began crying, reliving it. She couldn’t bring herself to finish and so pointed at herself. 

 

Shiro immediately scooped her up into a firm hug. “It’s okay now, it’s over. It was just a dream.” 

 

“No,” she sobbed into his shoulder. “It was too real, it was all too real. I don’t….it wasn’t a nightmare….”

 

Shiro’s arms tightened around her. “We can ask Niruth, she might know.” 

 

He began stroking her hair, and she had to repeat “ _we’re safe, in the castle_ ” in her mind to keep from falling part. “ _We’re safe….right?_ ”


	22. Recruit

Being unwilling to try and get back to sleep, Sarah and Shiro went to see Niruth in the hanger. The dragon raised her white, feathered curiously as they entered, but as her pupil came within range and their minds seamlessly connected, her expression became grave. “ _What you experienced was a premonition of a possible future._ ” she said before either of them could speak. “ _It was not uncommon for a White Witch to be forewarned of danger through their night visions_.”

 

“So what do we do?” Shiro asked, wrapping a protective arm around Sarah’s small shoulders. 

 

“ _Unfortunately, right now there is nothing to do. The vision is not finished._ ”

 

“There’s more?” Sarah asked timidly, her eyes wide and fearful. 

 

Niruth nodded solemnly. “ _Only when you reach its end will we be able to act. I’m afraid you have more uneasy nights ahead of you. How many and how often I cannot say._ ” Sarah took a deep breath and nodded. 

 

A sudden beeping from Darling made her and Shiro jump. Frowning, Sarah jogged over to the small craft, opening her entrance hatch. Inside, her computer screen was flashing. She sat down at her computer, relaxing slightly; she always felt most at home in her ship on her computer. The alert was informing her of an encrypted message from the Vaynov system. “Well this oughtta be interesting.” she murmured. 

 

“What is it?” Shiro asked from the hatch ramp. 

 

“I’m about to find out.” she said as Darling’s supercomputer revealed the message’s contents. As she had suspected, it was a message from her brother. “He’s very late.” she said to herself, reading his answer to her request. “Krisox says he and the lesser bosses are meeting at some big nightclub on Vaynov next week. Says he’s going to pass on my request then, but only if Allura and I go. And…” She tilted her head, confused. “only me and Allura. Wonder why….”

 

Shiro crossed his arms, leaning against the wall. “Well Allura is a princess. That’s got to have some clout, even if Altea is gone.” Sarah nodded, rereading the message. “Regardless, you two aren’t going alone.” 

 

“Mmm, I agree, that’s really fishy. But,” she shrugged. “it is Krisox.”

 

“Forming a plan?”

 

“Yea. I’m thinking….a kind of undercover sort of thing. Like in some of those Earth movies. Hang on…” She furiously typed away, bringing up several pages and scanning them quickly. “Here we go.” she said triumphantly. “Here’s a satellite view of the night club and the surrounding area.” Shiro went to stand behind her, leaning on the back of her chair and rest his chin on the top of her head. “So, we have two people undercover inside, we have someone, maybe two people on the rooftops here…” She pointed to each in turn before continuing on. “…that way we have eyes and ears in and out. And…” She turned in her chair, rising to her knees; he backed up slightly to give her space and not bump heads, as Sarah had a tendency to move and change position quickly and without warning. “Do you think we could find hidden mics? Like um….what are they called…” 

 

“A wire?” 

 

“Yes!” she said excitedly, snapping her fingers. “A wire. One for me and one for Allura. And then those little uh….hidden ear…thingies….” she trailed off, tapping her ear. 

 

“I know what you mean.” Shiro said, nodding, before tilting his head curiously. “Did you watch a lot of spy movies on Earth?”

 

“Well not a lot, but some….and it wasn’t just earth, my parents found some James Bond flicks super randomly once, it was so cool.”

 

Shiro laughed. “Sounds like it. So we might need everybody for this, yea?” 

 

“Yea…” Sarah sighed, nodding. “I mean if someone wants to opt out I’m not gonna force them.”

 

“Hey,” he said, lowering himself until he was at eye level with her. “This isn’t a side mission or a personal errand, this helps our cause. You don’t need to feel bad about asking for help with this.” 

 

She smiled shyly. “Yea, I guess you’re right.”

 

Shiro returned her smile and gently kissed her. “C’mon, lets see if Pidge can make a wire and earbuds.” 

* * *

A week later, Sarah and Allura found themselves on Vaynov, getting ready to meet with Krisox in an abandoned, derelict building a few blocks from the nightclub. Shiro and Coran were finishing their disguises; they were going to situate themselves inside, while Keith, Hunk, and Lance were in position outside, keeping watch on the streets and avenues below. 

 

“Testing?” Pidge’s voice crackled over the comms. They were in the castle, orbiting one of the systems uninhabitable planets. 

 

“Copy.” Shiro responded. 

 

“Was this really necessary?” Allura asked, uncomfortably tugging at the hem of her short dress. 

 

“We’re going to a nightclub on Vaynov and we want to blend in.” Sarah said, unintentionally blunt. She didn’t much care for the awfully high heeled shoes she was in, but she didn’t want to draw attention to her and the others. 

 

“I think the answer is yes.” Lance chuckled over the comms. 

 

Sarah blinked, confused for a split second. “Oh. Yea. Sorry, yes, it’s necessary.” She could sometimes sound annoyed or passive aggressive without meaning to; it was something she was working on. It also didn’t help matters that her prophetic nightmare had returned for the past two nights, each prolonging Hagger’s torture for what felt like eons.

 

“Ready?” Shiro asked, peeking out the boarded up windows, pulling her from her thoughts. 

 

“Yep.” Coran said as the girls nodded. The Altean exited first; the plan was to have Coran go in first, then the girls, with Shiro entering last. Sarah and Allura pulled drab cloaks over their glittery dresses; they didn’t want to attract unwanted attention on the way. When Shiro motioned for them to go, Sarah stepped out onto the street, turning to take Allura’s hand, and they set off towards the bright lights and loud music of the nightclub. 

 

The street was crowded as she and the Princess weaved between people. Sarah hoped they could blend in seamlessly, and it seemed they were successful. As they reached the neon lights of the club distract, they removed their cloaks almost in sync, casually letting them fall on the ground behind them without breaking their stride. 

 

“We have visual on Barbie and Teresa.” Hunk said from his vantage point as the girls reached the line to get inside.

 

“Do we seriously have to call them that?” Lance groaned. 

 

“Shush.” Pidge hissed.

 

“I’m inside.” Coran said as the girls reached the front. 

 

Sarah consciously made herself relax and smile. She whispered a joke about Lance to Allura to get her giggling just when they reached the bouncer. The girls laughed harder at Lance’s protests over the comms. The bouncer didn’t even really look at them, the alien just waved them through. As soon as the reached the main room, the music drowned out just about everything. The girls could feel the beat reverberate within them as they proceeded through the dancing crowd. All they could hear was the music; they had no idea what the others were saying.

 

Sarah stopped and leaned close to Allura’s ear so she could hear. “He’s probably through those doors.” she said, pointing to the double doors in the back guarded by two burly aliens. Allura nodded and followed as Sarah tugged on her hand. 

 

“Sorry ladies, private party.” one guard said gruffly. 

 

“Oh, I know.” Sarah said. She held out her right arm for the alien to scan. When it dinged he nodded. 

 

“My apologies.” he grunted, opening the door for them. 

 

Right inside was a small room that had what looked like a receptionist. There was another pair of double doors; Sarah assumed thats where Krisox and all the others were. “Ah, Sarah, right?” the receptionist lady alien asked, to which the human girl nodded. “Wait here, I’ll go let Krisox know.” the woman said as she disappeared through the other double doors.

 

“Okay, they’re about in.” the two heard Pidge say; they could actually hear their comms again. “Everyone in position?”

 

Allura and Sarah heard a chorus of “copy”s and “affirmative”s as the receptionist returned. “He’s ready for you.” she said, waving them through and smiling brightly. Sarah squeezed Allura’s hand as she lead the way inside. 

 

They found themselves in a smoky lounge, with all manner of species relaxing across scattered large pillows. The two had a difficult time in their heels, trying not to step on a pillow or trip over stretched out alien. “Yo!” Krisox’s shouted, his voice cutting through the haze. They found him near the back of the room, lying on the floor with two consorts. “Have a seat.” 

 

Sarah and Allura shared a look before they modestly sat down near him. “So….we’re here.” she said dully, wondering what her brother was playing at. 

 

“Yes, you made it, I’m glad.” the Dularian pushed himself up. “Oi, my special guests are here.” he shouted through the smokey room. They heard movement throughout as the lesser bosses righted themselves and the consorts were sent away. As the haze began to clear, Sarah estimated there were fifteen or twenty other aliens present, all looking their way. “So, my guests have a request. It just so happens that my dear sister, Kayla, has been captured by that Galra idiot, Zarkon.” His words were met with outbursts of anger, dismay, and concern; it seemed Krisox wasn’t lying when he said Kayla was well loved. Sarah hoped that would help convince them to join the cause. After a moment, Krisox raised his hand, and the room went quiet. “That was my reaction, too. Now, as you all know, i have two sisters. This one,” He patted Sarah’s knee and she had to fight the urge to slap his hand away. “is my dear sister Sarah. She’s been working on a way to rescue Kayla. Tell ‘em what you need.” he said to her, taking a swig from his glass. 

 

“Um, okay….my plan calls for a like….an armada.” she said haltingly as she tried to find the right words. This was met with skeptical murmurs, but she ignored them and pressed on. “By the time we go to execute this, the hope is that um….my team and I….we’ll have taken out a significant portion of Zarkon’s supply lines and bases and….we’re hoping to get some help from what planets we free…”

 

“Who’s ‘we’?” a hulking, moss-coloured alien interrupted. 

 

Sarah looked from Krisox to Allura; the former motioned her to get on with it, while the latter looked concerned but nodded grimly. “We….is uhm….me and….the Paladins of Voltron.” she said, bracing herself for laughter or mockery. But instead she was met with curious whispering. 

 

“So…it is true, then?” the moss alien asked. 

 

Sarah opened her mouth to speak but simply nodded, not sure how to react. “So….” she began after a long pause. “will…will you help us?” 

 

Most began discussing what joining the war would mean for them; the moss alien, however, was eyeing Allura suspiciously. “Who’s she?”

 

“She-ah-she’s-” Sarah started, ready to come up with a cover story, before Allura cut her off with a wave of her hand. 

 

“I am Princess Allura of Altea.” 

 

Her announcement was met with a stunned silence, which was abruptly broken by the moss alien. “Well, there ya have it. You don’t say no when a legend comes knockin.” A few others nodded in agreement, yet others looked unconvinced. 

 

“Okay,” Krisox said, standing up; Sarah and Allura followed suit, not sure if they should or not. “We’ll further discuss it. If you ain’t about it, no hard feelings. I’ll only lead in those that want to go. Sarah,” he said, turning to her. “Go out the back.” he dropped his voice to a barely audible whisper. “you can regroup with your friends without being harassed.”  

 

Sarah’s eyes widened slightly, but she nodded and, taking Allura by the hand, left the room through the slightly obscured back corner door. Once they were well away from the lounge, she dared to reach Shiro. “Psst?” she whispered discreetly. 

 

“We heard, we’re going around. See you in five.” Shiro said. She sighed, relieved, and picked up the pace. 

 

Just as they were out the back door, Shiro and Coran came jogging around the corner. “Hey…” she said, holding her arms outstretched as he reached her. 

 

“You okay?” Shiro asked after squeezing her tightly. 

 

“Yea…that went better than I had anticipated.” Sarah said as the nuzzled noses. “I think we’ll get plenty of support. Now let’s get off this gross planet. I don’t know about you guys but I’ve had enough of Vaynov for a lifetime.” 


	23. It Continues

Each time she had her prophetic nightmare, it got longer. It always started at  the same point, but the past three had ended in absolute agony; she knew it wasn’t the end, but its was almost like her subconscious could only take so much torture. 

 

So it was a very curious thing when she didn’t abruptly wake up during Hagger’s experiments, but instead the dream continued on.

 

Sarah felt weak, almost like a rag doll. Whoever was carrying her certainly held her as such, having gruffly tossed her over their shoulder to take her  back to the cell. She didn’t remember entering the cell; it was almost like she had been teleported from being carried in the hall to being embraced by Shiro in the cell. 

 

She couldn’t see his face, but his shoulders shook and it sounded like he was crying. “S-hiro…?” Sarah asked weakly. “Are you okay?”

 

He shifted so she was curled up against his chest and she could see his face. “I-I’m fine.” he said, his voice cracking slightly. “Don’t worry about me, okay?” 

 

Sarah frowned and wanted to argue, but she was in so much pain….

 

“I’m so sorry.” Shiro whispered, kissing her head. “I should’ve done more, I should’ve…” 

 

She tenderly raised a finger to his lips. “No, there wasn’t anything you could do, don’t blame yourself, please…” she whimpered; even the smallest movement made the pain sharper and more intense. 

 

“Shuush…” he murmured, cradling her now. “I’ve got you…I’ve got you…”

 

The scene seemed to blur, fading into another. She was being taken away again, but it was hard for her to tell what was going on around her. She heard sobbing and then a heavy door shut, cutting it off. She wearily wondered if it was Shiro and if he was okay, but she didn’t have much time to dwell on those thoughts; in what seemed like a matter of seconds, she was on Hagger’s table again. 

 

“I’ve created a new test especially for you today.” she whispered with malicious glee. Sarah couldn’t tell what she was doing, but she suddenly felt jolts of pure agony flash jaggedly across her body.

* * *

Her screaming melded smoothly into consciousness, as she bolted upright violently. It took her a half second to realise where she was, before she pulled her knees to her chest and hugged them tightly, sobbing. Shiro was up, his arms wrapped firmly around her. 

 

“Don’t worry.” he murmured. “I won’t let it happen. I won’t.” He sounded so determined and sure, and she wished she could share that certainty. But the pain was still fresh fresh on her mind. 

 

“I don’t wanna fall asleep again.” she said softly after a long silence, burying her face in her arms. 

 

“That’s ok.” Shiro said gently. “You want to go to Darling?” 

 

She was quiet for a moment before she raised her head and wiped the tears from her face. “Yea.” she said, hiccuping slightly. “I think I might have found some kind of fuel reserve of Zarkon’s…just waiting on some news from the group.” Sarah grabbed her bear and shakily slid off the bed. “You don’t have to come with, if you wanna sleep some more…” she murmured, though she hoped he would. She didn’t want to be alone.

 

“Nah, I’m fine. Not really tired anyway.” he said soothingly, following her.

* * *

“Yep, it is a reserve…or something…” she said, yawning. Her contact had replied back to her, confirming that the facility her planet-watching group had spotted was indeed one of Zarkon’s. “It looks pretty big but like…just weapons and energy and stuff…utilities….its not a stronghold.” 

 

“You say that as if taking it will be easy.” he chuckled from over her shoulder. 

 

“Well, I’m not outright saying that, just….I don’t know, its pretty isolated…..” she shrugged, looking to him. “Still worth a mention to the team.” 

 

“Yea, I agree. And it does seem like a valuable target. You wanna plan this mission too, Double-oh-seven?” Shiro teased. Sarah laughed and playfully pushed him. Laughter was good. Though it would only be temporary, he hoped he had gotten her mind off the nightmare. The prophetic nightmare that would not come to pass; he would see to it himself. He was not going to let Hagger touch her.


	24. From the Eyes of Another

Shiro found himself in a Galra cell, holding Sarah tightly. It terrified him to the bone that he was again in Galra custody, and worse yet, Sarah was with him. He’d rather die a thousand times than have her be a prisoner of Zarkon. But there was nothing that could be done about that now. He focused on keeping it together for her sake; she was so small and trembling terribly. He wanted to assure her that he’d get them out, he’d protect her…but with his arm disabled, he wasn’t sure if he could. 

 

The cell door opened, and instinctively Shiro maneuvered Sarah behind him. His worst fear was confirmed as the officer gave he orders. He didn’t know how much damage he’d be able to do, he just hoped the end result would be them taking him instead of her. He’d suffered at Hagger’s hands before; he knew he could take it. But Sarah….

 

He blacked out when one of the sentries threw him against the wall. When he next came to, she was being escorted out of the cell by the sentries. His eyes widened in panic. “Sarah!” he yelled, clumsily getting to his feet and making to run after her. He didn’t know what he was trying to accomplish, he just wanted to protect her from whatever Hagger had planned. But the Galra officer caught him, knocking the wind out of him; he collapsed, clutching his middle. Shiro heard her call to him, but he could only just barely make out what she was saying. “Sarah….”

 

After what felt like a lifetime, the cell door opened again. He hastily rose to his feet, bracing himself. The Galra officer had Sarah slung over his shoulder; he went to drop her but Shiro caught her, holding her small form close to him. He waited till the door closed to check and see if she was breathing. Mercifully, she was. It was then that he noticed the fresh cuts and bruises that decorated her thin body. He couldn’t stop himself from crying. He held her even closer, crying into her shoulder as his shoulder shook from sobbing. He couldn’t protect her, he couldn’t do anything.

 

“S-hiro…?” she said, her voice small and weak. “Are you okay?”

 

He shifted to where he could see her face. Her beautiful face marred by a long gash on her cheek. “I-I’m fine.” he said, trying to be brave again for her; his voice cracked ever so slightly, betraying him. “Don’t worry about me, okay?” She frowned at him; he could tell she wanted to pursue the subject. “I’m so sorry.” he whispered, kissing her head gently. “I should’ve done more, I should’ve….” he trailed off, not sure how to finish that thought. She brought her finger to his lips, quieting him; she winced slightly, and he realised just how much pain she must be in; he felt his heart break. 

 

“No, there wasn’t anything you could do, don’t blame yourself, please….” she pleaded, whimpering.

 

“Shush…” he said, cradling her. “I’ve got you…I’ve got you….” He hoped she would sleep at least; he didn’t want to think about what Hagger had done to her that left her in so much pain.  

 

Two days later, they came for her again. And again he was helpless to stop them. He collapsed to the floor, sobbing; he was useless. The woman he loved was being tortured, maybe worse, and he was powerless to stop it. 

 

He heard her screams this time. It seemed like they were being broadcast, echoing throughout the ship. They felt like knives stabbing his heart, again and again. But when they stopped, he was filled with dread. 

 

They brought her back shortly after. As the cell door closed, he held her close, noticing just how ragged her breathing was, how pale she had become. 

 

“Stay with me, baby.”  he begged. “Please, I need you…”

 

“Sh…iro….” she whispered barely audible; she didn’t open her eyes, why couldn’t she open her eyes?

 

“Shuush, shuush, rest…just …” His sobs cut him off, his whole body was shaking. “Sarah….please….”

 

“I’m…sorry…I am….a damsel…..”

 

“No, no you aren’t, don’t say that.” he cried, tears streaming down his face. He wasn’t ready, he didn’t know how to live without her. “Please, I love you so much, I need you, I can’t….”

 

“I love you, too…” she whispered, with what might have been her last breath. 

 

“No, no, no, no…” he said, again and again, rocking as he held  her limp body. “No, no, no…” It couldn’t be real, she couldn’t be gone. He kissed her forehead, before resting his head against hers. His vision was blurred from crying but he didn’t care. Nothing mattered anymore. The most important person in the universe was gone and he couldn’t prevent it. 

 

He jumped slightly when the cell door opened. He clutched Sarah ever more closely as Zarkon and Hagger entered. “What could you possible want?” he spat at them. 

 

“I wanted to see if we could break your spirit.” Zarkon said darkly. 

 

Shiro didn’t respond, glaring at them through his tears. 

 

“I knew she wouldn’t last long.” Hagger said, her voice dripping with malice. 

 

“It seems she was wrong. She wasn’t your greatest strength.” Zarkon smirked. “She was your greatest weakness.” 

 

“Why don’t you just kill me already?” Shiro growled. 

 

“It’s coming.” the Galra emperor said, kneeling in front of the Paladin and pulling out his bayard. “I wanted to see you broken with my own eyes.”

* * *

When Zarkon’s blade pierced his heart, Shiro woke up with a start, breathing heavily and covered in a cold sweat. Frantically, he searched for Sarah in the dark. She was sitting up, holding her knees close to her. He was so relieved she was alive, he pulled her into a tight hug.

 

“Shiro-?” she asked, confused and concerned as he began crying. 

 

“I-I saw it…I had….your nightmare.” 

 

“Oh….” she said softly, wrapping her arms around him. 

 

“You died…” he sobbed. 

 

“I….I know….I woke up after I….after that happened.” she said, her voice hollow and shaking. “Is that…did it end there for you, too?”

 

“No.” Shiro pulled back, holding her face, her beautiful unblemished face in his hands. “No, I woke when I died.”

 

Her eyes widened in alarm, filling up with tears. 

 

They rested their foreheads against each other; he closed his eyes, listening to the sound of her breathing, savouring it. 

 

“I daresay it’s finished.” Sarah murmured after a while. “We should tell Niruth….” But she didn’t move and neither did he; he had just lived through the worst Zarkon could do, and he just needed to hold her for a while, rationalise with himself; _She’s safe, we’re safe, Zarkon is far away….I won’t let Hagger touch her….._


	25. Her Plan

It didn’t take much to convince the team to take the large facility. Sarah, Shiro, and Allura planned out the mission, spending three days poring over what little intel they had been able to gather. Most of it was what Sarah had acquired from the group dedicated to tracking Zarkon’s movements and updating their maps each time a dead planet was discovered. One of her contacts had been patrolling the area, as a planet in the system had recently been sucked dry of its quintessence, when they came across the sizeable storage facility. At least, that’s what they thought it was. They hadn’t been able to get close. 

 

Sarah insisted on having multiple backup plans as her prophetic nightmare and Niruth’s words were always on her mind. Her mentor could only suggest vigilance, and informing the rest of the team so they could be aware of the potential fate of their friends. Allura understood the girl’s need to be careful and have contingency plans, but had ton insist on the third day that they were more than well prepared. This bothered Sarah immensely, as her mind became a whirlwind of worry and what-if scenarios. 

 

“Hey…we got this.” Shiro said as they were laying down the night before they put their plan into action. “We have back up plans for our back up plans.”

 

“But still, i mean, what if-”

 

“Then we’ll handle it on the fly, we can do this.” he cut her off, kissing her forehead. “I won’t let anything bad happen, I promise. Let’s try to sleep, yea?” Shiro pulled her closer to him, resting his forehead against hers on the pillow. Ever since the nightmare, he found the sound of her breathing to be soothing and adored it. He didn’t like thinking about it, but he could still vividly remember her taking her last breath. Shiro squeezed her tighter to ground him. 

* * *

The plan was for them to split into two groups; Lance, Hunk, and Keith would attack one end of the facility with their lions, while Sarah, Shiro, Pidge, and Allura would infiltrate the other end and disable various operations, shutting it down from the inside. Sarah had dubbed the teams Rainbow Jellybeans and Unicorn Sparkles, respectively, for reasons that weren’t obvious to anybody. 

 

The distant explosions rocking the halls told them that Team Rainbow Jellybeans was executing their half of the plan. Team Unicorn Sparkles carefully crept along, following Sarah as she explored the halls using quintessence. Most of the sentries were drawn to the commotion and had left their routes and posts. 

 

“Okay, around this corner is clear.” she murmured, eyes closed as she followed the flow of energy with mind’s eye. “There’s a door…leading to a really long room…Might want to try there, there’s a bunch of disturbances in the flow.” 

 

Shiro nodded as she opened her eyes and the team followed him. 

 

Just as Sarah had said, there was a long room lined with control panels and holographic screens. Only one bot was standing guard; Shiro disposed of it quickly. 

 

Pidge ran to the larger screens at the far end and set up shop, hacking into the system to see what operations they should target. 

 

“What do we need to do, Pidge?” Allura asked, looking at the monitors curiously. 

 

“Hang on, I’m trying to disable….there we go. Okay, go to a panel and just….” they shrugged. “…hit buttons.” 

 

“But Shiro’s the only one with-” 

 

“I disabled that, you all can work it now.”

 

“Cool!” Sarah said, running to one of the glowing panels excitedly. “Um…let’s see what this one does.” She touched a random button on the screen and clapped giddily when they heard a large machine winding down nearby. Shiro and Allura went to separate panels and soon the room was full of blinking red lights as alarms off in the distance sounded. 

 

“Alright, let’s wrap this up and move on.” Shiro said, moving to the door to check the halls. 

 

Sarah tapped one more button before turning to follow. However when she turned, she found herself in a completely different location. She looked around in confusion for a moment, before her prophetic nightmare hit her like a train, playing at lighting fast speed. When it finished, she was back in the room with the others, but she was on her hands and knees, trembling. 

 

“Sarah, what is it?” Shiro asked, very close to her. 

 

She turned her wide eyes to his face, full of concern. “The…nightmare….it….here…..I think….I think Hagger’s….” she said haltingly, having trouble making her thoughts coherent. “Shiro, we have to go, we have to _go_.” 

 

His eyes widened in fear and nodded. 

 

“What is it?” Allura asked, kneeling next to them. 

 

“We have to leave. The nightmare where we….we have to go or it’ll come true.” he said, helping Sarah to her feet. “Pidge, wrap it up, we gotta go!” He rested his forehead against Sarah’s. “It’s not going to happen, I swear.” he whispered.

 

Allura began issuing orders to the other team as Pidge disconnected from the panels at the other end of the room. A sudden set of nearby explosions caused them all to almost fall over. “What was that-?” Pidge started, before something directly above them blew.

 

The explosion caused the floor above them to collapse in, separating Pidge from the rest of their team. When the dust settled, the panels were sparking and huge chunks of metal took up a large portion of the middle of the room. 

 

“Pidgey?” Sarah called, pushing herself to her feet and trying to look through the jumbled mess between them. “Pidge, are you okay?” 

 

She heard coughing from the other side. “Yea, I’m fine….owwww….” the Green Paladin moaned. 

 

“Pidge what’s wrong?” Shiro asked, concerned, joining Sarah by the rubble. 

 

“I….I think….my leg…I think it’s broken.” they whimpered. “I can’t move it.”

 

“Don’t worry, we’ll come to you.” Allura said, trying to find a way to crawl through. “I can’t fit through any of this.” she murmured, turning to Sarah, her eyes wide; Sarah nodded, understanding. 

 

The small human took a moment to find a stable entrance before getting down on her hands and knees and crawling through. The roof caving in made a very hazardous obstacle course, requiring Sarah to nimbly crawl, climb, slide, and duck through the pieces of jagged metal. “Haha, success.” she said triumphantly when she made it to the other side. 

 

“But how do we get out?” Pidge asked ruefully. 

 

“Hmmm….” Sarah murmured, looking around them. The room was in shambles, panels missing from the walls themselves; but it was nothing but huge metal beams behind where the panels had been. Her eyes moved to the ground, where she spotted an air vent. “Pidgey, the vents!”

 

“Still, I can’t move….”

 

“I could move you….might not be one hundred percent pleasant but….” she trailed off, shrugging. 

 

“What d’yo-oh!” Pidge gasped as Sarah lifted them slightly with white magic. 

 

“Sarah don’t do too much, don’t give yourself away.” Shiro said warily.

 

“I know, this isn’t much.” Sarah said, focusing. “Uh, probably tuck everything in. And give me directions.” she turned to Pidge, manipulating the flow of quintessence to ease them through the vent. 

 

After a moment, Pidge’s voice echoed back to her. “Okay stop, go up.” 

 

On the other side of the rubble Sarah heard Shiro saying he was going to try to find another vent opening in the hall before jogging out. 

 

“Stop, go horizontal like you were a minute ago.”

 

“Pidgey would it be okay if I set you down for a sec and got into the vent too? This is getting hard…” 

 

“Uhm…sure…” Pidge said uncertainly. 

 

Sarah set them down as carefully as she could manage, before crawling into the vent herself. When she reached the bend, she closed her eyes and disappeared into smoke, only to reappear next to Pidge, who squeaked. “Sorry.” Sarah said apologetically. “Is that a grate up ahead?” she asked, pointing to the horizontal lines an exterior light was creating on the inside of the vent. 

 

“I guess so.” 

 

“Okay, one sec.” Sarah said, nodding, poofing to Pidge’s other side so she could investigate. Reaching it, she peeked out and saw the hallway they were in earlier. “Shiro?” she whispered.

 

“Sarah?” she heard him say, coming into view a second later.

 

“Hey!” she said, waving when he saw her. “I’m gonna drop down and then ease Pidgey out. Where’s Allura?” 

 

“Still in the room, I think, I’ll go get her.” he said, jogging out of sight. 

 

Sarah pushed the grate out of the way, barely catching before it could fall to the floor. She slide her feet through, lowering herself carefully and then dropping the rest of the way. After setting the grate down, she looked up and called to Pidge. “Ready Pidgey?” 

 

“Yea.” Pidge’s voice replied, echoing slightly. 

 

Taking a stance, Sarah resumed moving the Green Paladin gently through the vent. “Okay stay very still….” she murmured when she had Pidge over the vent opening, easing them down to the hall floor. “Shiro or Allura could probably carry you the rest of the way.” she said, bending down next to them. 

 

Another explosion rocked the hall, and fire erupted at the far end. Sarah watched with widening eyes as the fireball hurried towards them. Looking back, she couldn’t see Shiro or Allura. Almost instinctively, she threw up a quintessence barrier in front of them just before they were to be incinerated. She and Pidge winced from the rush of heat as the wave of flames hit the invisible barrier. 

 

“Sarah!” she heard from behind her as the flames died. She blinked, turning as Shiro and Allura ran up to them. She had just performed some heavy magic; there was no way Hagger or whatever druids might be around missed that. “Oops.” she said, her eyes wide.


	26. Close Encounter

“Never mind that.” Shiro said, gently picking up Pidge. “Let’s just get back to the Green Lion. Pidge, do you think you can still pilot it?” 

 

“I think so, if not, I’m sure Green can get us out herself.” they shrugged as the team began running back to their entry point. 

 

As they ran, Sarah tried to look ahead of them, around corners and down halls, to prevent any unwelcome surprises. “There’s a handful of sentries up ahead.” she warned. 

 

“Shiro, let me carry Pidge.” Allura said, freeing up his Galra arm. 

 

Seconds later four bots rounded the corner, guns ready, but Shiro was too quick for them. The others didn’t even have to break their pace as he tossed the last bot to the ground. 

 

“Lance, Kieth, Hunk, do you copy?” he asked over the comms. 

 

“Yea, what’s up?” Lance asked, explosions sounding off in the distance. 

 

“We’re pulling out, Hagger’s here.” 

 

“How do you know?” Hunk asked, concerned. 

 

“We just….do.” Shiro trailed off, sharing a glance with Sarah. “Stay engaged until we’re out, might need you to cover us.”

 

“Right. Were those explosions over there you guys?” Keith asked, wary. 

 

“Uh…” Pidge started, uncertain. “I suppose it could have been.” 

 

“I mean we did kind of just hit buttons at random….or at least I did…” Sarah input. “Shit, I think some sentries are comin at us from behind.” she said, turning and throwing up another barrier just in time to deflect the plasma bolts. It was hard to focus on running, the comms, and seeing through quintessence. She stopped listening so she could instead keep the barrier going behind them, but that also meant being unable to venture ahead and look out for hazards. With an entire squadron behind them, she didn’t have much choice. 

 

“We’re almost there.” she heard Shiro say next to her. Looking ahead, she saw their entrance/exit point; an airlock, outside of which was the Green Lion. Allura reached it first and set Pidge down to get it open. Sarah and Shiro slowed to a stop a little ways from them, Sarah still blocking the sentries as Shiro ducked and took them out one by one. 

 

“Okay, got it!” Allura said as it opened, revealing the open maw of Pidge’s lion. 

 

“Sarah, go!” Shiro yelled over his shoulder as Allura carried Pidge into the mechanical beast.  

 

“Not without you!” she shouted irritably as he took apart the last two bots. She lowered her barrier as he turned to follow, about to turn and go herself, when Shiro’s eyes widened in terror at something just behind her. 

 

Before she could ask what he saw, electrified claws dug into her side, causing her to sharply gasp in pain. “Hello, White Witch.” Hagger hissed from behind her. She transported them both away just as Shiro started to reach for his girlfriend. Suddenly Sarah found herself surrounded by four other druids. “I’ll get my champion soon enough. He wouldn’t leave without you.” she cackled, letting go of her grip on the small human. 

 

“You aren’t gonna touch him ever again.” Sarah growled, releasing a pulse that pushed Hagger back, giving her enough room to transport herself back. When she reappeared by the airlock, she collapsed to the ground, crying out in pain. Shiro wasted no time in scooping her up and running into the Green Lion’s waiting jaws. 

 

“Okay, go, go!” he said frantically when he reached the cockpit. Pidge nodded from the pilot chair and Green took off; it seemed to understand that its Paladin was hurt and was taking the reigns. Allura was giving commands to the other team over the comms, but Sarah was having trouble comprehending what she was saying, her pain was blinding. Shiro laid her on the cockpit floor, kneeling next to her. “You’ll be okay.” he said as her world became blurry. “Don’t worry.” 

* * *

As soon as the pod opened, she was in Shiro’s arms. “Hey…” he said, close to her ear. 

 

“Mmmm….what happened….” she murmured, rubbing her eyes. 

 

“We were successful.” Pidge said from somewhere behind Shiro; he turned so she could see the rest of the room. “Despite the unexpected complication of the druids.” 

 

“Oh yea….” Sarah said as the events came back to her. “Pidgey, are you okay? Your leg…”

 

“All better!” they chirped happily. 

 

“How are you feeling?” Allura said from Sarah’s right, concerned.

 

“Huh-? Oh…” she looked to where Hagger had grabbed her, poking at it gently. “Good as new I think.” Allura giggled slightly, as Shiro kissed the top of her head. “Everyone else make it out okay?” She had just noticed that Team Rainbow Jellybeans was nowhere to be seen. 

 

“Yea, they’re cleaning their Lions. They got a little messy on their end of things.” Shiro answered. “You wanna go lay down?” 

 

Sarah wanted to crack a joke about having just woken up from the pod, but she did feel oddly tired. “Yea…” she murmured, leaning in to him. 

 

“Do you want me to carry you?” he asked, chuckling. 

 

“Maybe.” she mock pouted, leaning her head back to look at him. He caressed her cheek with his human hand, kissing her deeply. 

 

“As you wish.”


	27. A New Champion

“It’s gone?!” Sarah almost yelled. 

 

“Yea, I told you, we were successful.” Pidge said nonchalantly, reaching across the table to grab one of Hunk’s rolls. 

 

“I mean I thought you meant we hardcore damaged it or….” she trailed off, not sure she fully believed what she was hearing. She had inquired after the extent of the damage they had subjected the Galra facility to, as she wanted to know exactly what happened. She hadn’t expected to hear that they had somehow caused a reactor meltdown that completely obliterated the place, leaving a large crater where it had once been. “I guess one of those random buttons really fucked it over.” 

 

“Yepmf.” Pidge said with their mouth full of roll. 

 

“Ohmygod Pidgey, don’t talk with your mouth full.” Sarah chided, laughing. 

 

“Hey, has anyone seen Keith?” Lance asked as he entered the dining room.

 

“Not since yesterday, he said he was going to some city on a planet close by. There’s like an Anti-Galra cell based there.” Pidge answered. 

 

“He went alone?” Lance looked at the Green Paladin alarmed. 

 

“Well that certainly sounds like Keith.” Sarah said with a shrug as she finished her meal. “Why don’t you talk to Shiro? Surely mullet cleared it with him first.” 

 

“Yea, yea I’ll do that, okay.” he said uncertainly as he left. 

 

Sarah stared after him, concerned. “I know that Keith is impulsive and kinda reckless, but like…”

 

“Yea, it is worrisome.” Pidge nodded. 

 

She frowned as the Green Paladin cleaned up their area before following suit. “I think I’ll go ask Shiro, too. You Paladins really shouldn’t split up.” she teased, gently elbowing Pidge as they left together. 

 

They found Shiro, Allura, and Lance in the control room, looking at the holographic map. “Did you guys find mullet yet?” Sarah asked as she and Pidge joined them. 

 

“No,” Allura said, adjusting the map. “We can’t seem to reach him nor his lion. They’re well within range, or they should be, I can’t think why we aren’t able to contact him.”

 

“I can ask Niruth. She’s been connecting with the lions.” Sarah offered. 

 

“ _All I can tell you_ ,” her mentor said to them before she could turn to move. “ _Is that his lion is somewhere in this system. You may want to go looking for them._ ”

 

Shiro nodded. “Yea. But not as Voltron. Don’t want to draw unwanted attention. We’ll split into teams of two.”

* * *

Sarah and Shiro walked through the crowded, narrow marketplace, looking for any sign of Keith or his lion or the anti-Galra cell he had been looking for. “I can’t get a read on anything.” Sarah grumbled, annoyed; with so many people, she couldn’t see through the jumbled mess of quintessence swirling around them. 

 

“It’s fine.” Shiro said, squeezing her hand. “Just look with your eyes. Not that that’s really much better…maybe we should look somewhere else.”

 

“Sounds good to me.” Sarah chirped as the two turned around to return to their pod. 

 

They walked in a comfortable silence for a while, both still keeping an eye out for any sign of Keith. A scream up ahead drew their attention forward and then up at the Galra ships that were heading for the city. “Shit.” Sarah whispered as Shiro tried to contact the others. 

 

“Comms are down.” Shiro said, tugging Sarah into a deserted alley. 

 

“What should we do?” she asked as they ran away from the now panicking, screaming crowd. 

 

“See if we can get back to the pod, or go underground if that’s not an option.” 

 

“I don’t think it will be, they’d shoot us down.” 

 

“Underground it is. Still, I’d like to try and get a message out to the team or Coran if he’s within range.” 

 

Sarah nodded as the alley emptied onto a another crowded street. They took a sharp right, running against the flow of the terrified crowd. 

 

“Um, Shiro?” she said uncertainly, as a Galra ship positioned itself just ahead of them. “I think we might need to give up on the pod.” 

 

The ship emitted a beam of light that began sucking up everything it touched. The two came to skittering stop and turned to ran with the crowd, but the ship’s beam was too fast; as they were pulled toward the ship, Shiro pulled Sarah to him and they clung to each other. 

* * *

Luckily, they were placed in a cell together, along with half a dozen other captured aliens. In an effort to make things light and keep their mind off the situation they were in, Sarah complained about the prisoner garb they had been forced to wear. She pulled the tattered purple cloth over her head and tied it around her waist to make a skirt. Shiro smiled sadly as she twirled, clapping when it stayed put. Though they had apparently avoided their nightmare’s fate, it still lingered on his mind. It seemed very likely to come true now that they were actually prisoners of the Galra, but Sarah had made a good point; the officers didn’t know who they were. It was weak but it was hope. They spent their time trying to recall all they knew about Galra ships and protocols, and Shiro for the first time ever talked about what he remembered from the gladiator arena. He desperately wished that she would be sent to the work camps and not to fight, as he was likely to be. But fate had other plans. 

* * *

“Shiro,” Sarah said steadily, looking down the long line leading to the gladiator arena. “if either of us go out there, the gig is up. You’ll be almost instantly recognisable,” She turned to him, smiling grimly. “and how long do you think it’d take for word of a white witch to reach Hagger?”  

 

He knew she was right, but couldn’t see a way out of it; one of them was going to have to enter the arena, and it would not be her. He figured he’d have to do what he did to get Matt out of fighting. It killed him that he’d have to hurt her but it was better than the alternative. 

 

As they grew closer to the arena entrance, he grabbed her hand and squeezed it. She turned to him, her makeshift skirt swirling. Taking his face in her hands, she rose on her toes to kiss him. “I love you.” she murmured when she pulled away. Her eyes were apologetic, but before he could say or do anything, he felt a sharp zap at his neck followed by darkness. 

 

When he came to, he was in a cell with half a dozen other prisoners. As his eyes adjusted, he realised Sarah wasn’t there and began looking around frantically. “Hey,” he called to one of the other aliens. “did you see what happened to the human that was with me, the small girl?” 

 

The willowy, three-eyed creature appraised him curiously. “The small sorceress boldly faced the Undefeated. She robbed it of the title, before vanishing.”

 

Shiro’s eyes grew wide. “She went into the arena? Is she okay?”

 

“We know not.” the alien said, shaking its head. “As soon as the beast was down for good she turned to smoke. No one has seen her since. The Galra are on high alert.”

 

As if on cue, a troop of Galra soldiers and bots marched passed their cell. Shiro stood, peeking through the small cell window, but all he could see was the hall way. He slumped against the wall, sinking to the ground and holding his head in his hands. What did she do? It must have been her that knocked him out; that explained why she looked apologetic. He noticed the alien was watching him. “Did you….did you see the match?” he asked, leaning his head against the wall and dropping his hands. Shiro wasn’t sure if he was ready to hear about it, but he needed to know. 

 

The creature nodded slowly. “Truly magnificent. A being of so small a stature, against a monster, and she didn’t even get a scratch.” Shiro frowned, confused, as the alien went on. “I had heard youngling tales of White Magic, but never did I imagine I’d live to see it.” 

 

“I heard another whisper that she is a Sorceress of Olde. She calls the last dragons brethren and has been sent to free us.” another alien chipped in eagerly. 

 

“With mine ears,” a being with large mouse-like ears began. “I overheard her whispering as she became one with the air. She spoke of dragons and Voltron.”

 

“You heard no such thing.” a grouchy alien said irritably. 

 

“No, I did! I hear her every so often as she drifts like a vapor. I swear to every god that she is everywhere at once, even now!”

 

“Shush!” a voice hissed from seemingly nowhere. “If you’re too loud you’ll attract unwanted attention. Now nobody react to _me_ , got it?” The prisoners looked around in concern and curiosity, murmuring. 

 

Shiro stood up and looked carefully around the dark cell. That had been Sarah’s voice, but he couldn’t see her. 

 

“Boo.” she said playfully from behind him, causing him to jump and several of the other prisoners to gasp or shriek. She scowled, vanishing into smoke, her voice filling the room from nowhere again. “Literally the fuck did I say? Get it together I don’t want my location known.” There was a long silence before she spoke again. “Okay, let’s try this again.” She materialised in the middle of the room this time, planting a finger to her lips as she walked over to Shiro. Before he could say anything, she had her arms around his neck and was kissing him deeply. 

 

“W-what…” he muttered, breaking away after a moment. “What happened? What did you do?” he asked, concern engraved in his face as he caressed her cheek. 

 

“Well…” she began, blushing sheepishly. “I kind of uh….knocked you out….so you didn’t have to go in the arena again. I went in instead.” 

 

“But-?!” he began, alarmed.

 

“Listen,” she said, cutting him off abruptly. “You’d be recognised faster than me. Not to mention, there’s no way in hell I’m letting you back in there. Besides,” She moved her hands to her hips. “I can take care of myself and I think some of these guys can attest to that.”

 

The three-eyed alien rose, nodding in agreement with her. “She took the Undefeated down easily and quickly. It was unlike anything I had ever seen.” 

 

Shiro looked between them, confused and worried. He knew she had been training with Niruth and Allura virtually every day since her dragon mentor had joined them, but he hadn’t actually seen her in action. It was hard to believe she had held her own, even with the other prisoner’s testimony to back it up. 

 

Not wanting to start an argument, he changed the subject. “What have you been doing since then? How long was I out?” 

 

“Couple hours maybe.” Sarah shrugged. “I’ve been in air vents scoping the place out. There’s a curious number of blind spots in this place.” 

 

“What are you planning….”

 

“I’ll let you know when I finish planning it.” she said with a smirk. “Gotta go, another squad’s coming this way.” She rose to her toes and kissed him again, before reluctantly pulling away and disappearing into smoke. 

 

He and the willowy alien shared a look. “I understand why you worry.” the being said gently. “She is quite small. But…she is very powerful.”


	28. The New Champion

She knew he was going to get her out of going into the arena. She remembered his retelling of what he did to save Matt Holt from going in, and figured he’d try something similar. But she was determined save him from being a gladiator again. She knew she had to act quickly, because he wasn’t likely to hesitate. When he took her hand, she braced herself for what she was about to do. Turning to him, she rose to her toes to hastily kiss him. “I love you.” she said softly. His eyes were confused and he was about to question her, but she knocked him out with a small zap. It was a fairly recent skill she had been taught and she hadn’t been able to test it out, but Shiro immediately slinking into unconsciousness let her know she was successful. 

 

She watched sadly as the Galra took him away to a cell somewhere; he wouldn’t be too happy with her when he woke. Turning to face the front, she mentally rehearsed the various techniques Niruth had taught her. Before she knew it, she was being ushered into the arena. 

 

An absolutely disgusting brute of a thing was her opponent. It had four arms and swung a block of earth the size of a human car on a chain as thick as she was. Somewhere in the back of her mind she realised she should be scared to bits, but oddly enough, she wasn’t. She didn’t know why, but she was confident that all would turn out okay. She could defeat this creature they called “the Undefeated”. 

 

There wasn’t much of a signal of when to begin; the brute began swinging its chain over its head, getting ready to let it fly towards her. But she was ready. When he let it go, she sliced the chain with a white slash, breaking it. She spun, whirling the mound around her head and launching it back at the monster. It hadn’t anticipated anything of the sort, and was too dumbfounded to react; the chunk of earth hit it straight in the head, knocking it over. Sarah waited a few seconds to see if it would stir; when it did not, she smirked to herself. The crowd in the arena was in uproar and Galra soldiers were trying to quell the crowd everywhere. 

 

Knowing she wasn’t likely to have another opportunity of this nature, she vanished in a wisp of smoke, transporting herself to a vent shaft that led into the arena. A wide grin formed across her lips as the audience virtually began to riot. Turning, she began crawling through the shaft on her hands and knees, determined to learn the lay of the land. She switched between using her eyes and seeing through quintessence to navigate and form a mental map in her head. 

 

Sarah spent a few hours exploring, being careful to stay out of sight. The Galra were on high alert and looking for her, but it seemed they still didn’t think to look in ventilation shafts. She was very grateful for this oversight of theirs. 

 

She lost track of time, but when she was exploring through the flow of quintessence, she found Shiro’s signature. She transported herself into a vent directly above his cell, listening to see if he was awake or not. She waited a bit longer than she had intend, enjoying the amusing conversation he was having with the other aliens. She had to shove her fist in her mouth to keep herself from laughing; ‘sorceress of old’, ‘dragon brethren’, it was almost too much. One of the aliens began to get particularly loud and she decided to intervene, letting her voice be carried into the room via quintessence. “Shush! If you’re too loud you’ll attract unwanted attention. Now nobody react to _me_ , got it?” 

 

After a second she materialised in the cell, accidentally behind Shiro. Still rather amused, she playfully said, “Boo.” This spooked everyone so much they gasped or shrieked. Annoyed, Sarah transported herself back to the vent to scold them in safety. “Literally the fuck did I say? Get it together, I don’t want my location known.” She paused, scoping out the hallway outside to see if any sentries or soldiers noticed the jumpy prisoners. When it appeared no one was coming to investigate, she prepared to materialise in again. “Okay, let’s try this again.” This time she made sure she appeared in the middle of the cell. She held a finger to her lips, hoping they understood to be quiet, and walked up to Shiro. Unable to restrain herself, she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply, pulling him closer to her. Almost as a reflex, he wrapped his arms tightly around her. 

 

She would have gladly continued forever, but he broke away, seemingly intent on addressing the situation. “W-what….what happened? What did you do?” he asked, concerned, as he caressed her cheek. 

 

“Well…” she began, blushing sheepishly as she leaned into his hand. “I kind of uh…knocked you out….so you didn’t have to go in the arena again. I went in instead.”

 

“But-?!” he began, but she cut him off. 

 

“Listen. You’d be recognised faster than me. Not to mention, there’s no way in hell I’m letting you back in there. Besides,” she smiled confidently, moving her hands to her hips. “I can take care of myself, and I think some of these guys can attest to that.” 

 

An alien with three eyes rose and nodded. “She took the Undefeated down easily and quickly. It was unlike anything I had ever seen.” 

 

Shiro still didn’t look convinced, but he changed the subject. “What have you been doing since then? How long was I out?” 

 

“Couple hours maybe.” she shrugged. “I’ve been in the air vents scoping the place out. There’s a curious number of blind spots in this place.”

 

“What are you planning….” he asked cautiously. 

 

“I’ll let you know when I finish planning it.” she said, smirking. She sensed a change in the flow of life energy and knew a Galra squad was approaching. “ Gotta go, another squad’s coming this way.” She rose to kiss him again, desperately wanting to get lost in his lips; but this wasn’t the place for that. Reluctantly, she pulled away and transported herself back to the vent, silently crawling along. She did indeed have a plan forming, but it was going to require some help….and a lot of explosives.


	29. Engage

“Do you see what I mean?” Sarah asked Shiro. The two were sitting cross-legged across from each other, eyes closed as they navigated their surroundings through the flow of quintessence. “I don’t what they are, but these small rooms are virtually totally unused.”

 

“Mmmm…” Shiro murmured. It wasn’t the clearest picture in the world, but he got the gist of it; throughout the network of ventilation shafts were small rooms, just big enough for two people to stand up comfortably. “This is a pretty confusing network though, how are you going to keep it straight?” 

 

“I’m just…really good with maps.” she giggled. “I _love_ maps.”

 

He smiled; he knew this very well. Her favourite part of planning missions was looking over the maps. “Any way you can get a physical copy of that map?”

 

They opened their eyes at the same time, and Sarah bit her lip. “Probably….not….unless I can get something to draw with and on.”

 

Shiro chuckled. “Fair enough.” He cocked an eyebrow when he noticed she seemed pensive. “Whats up?”

 

“Well….there’s something I want to try.” she said cautiously, holding her hands out with her palms up. 

 

Shiro placed his hands in hers and she closed her eyes. A second later, he found himself a foot away from his original position. “Whoa. Did you just-?” 

 

“Yea.” she said, smirking. “Niruth was in the middle of teaching me this when we left. With a little more practise, I should be able to get you into the shafts with me.” Sarah beamed proudly.  

 

“Its not too draining?” 

 

“It is a bit more than just me alone, but Niruth taught me how to conserve energy first thing, so I’ve gotten really good at not exhausting myself.”

 

Shiro nodded, smiling. “So, in the meantime…?”

 

“I….don’t really know. I need supplies, like grenades and….” she paused as her stomach rumbled. “Oh, food too, that’s something humans need to survive.”

 

Shiro chuckled, pulling a small parcel from under his ragged shirt. “I kind of had a feeling. It might not be your favourite thing in the world but…” He passed her the prisoner rations he had set aside just for her. 

 

“Oh,” she blinked, surprised. “Thank you.” He knew she had a strange fear of unfamiliar food, but hoped she’d at least eat some as it was food in the end. He smiled warmly as she unwrapped and took small nibbles. “Hmm.” she murmured. “It’s….not completely terrible.” 

* * *

“Sorry, what’s your name again?” Shiro asked the three-eyed alien after Sarah left to do more  recon. 

 

“Kintak. And you are Shiro and the sorceress is….?” 

 

“Sarah.” Shiro nodded. 

 

“I admire your and her courage. In the face of the expansive Galra empire, it is almost unimaginable to stand up against them.” Kintak looked dejectedly at their long, spindly fingers. 

 

“Hey.” Shiro said, catching the alien’s eye. “There is still hope. Voltron is real.” 

 

“But how can it be? It is but a youngling story.” 

 

“It’s not just a story. I know, because I’m one of the Paladins.” 

 

Kintak’s three eyes widened in awe. “But Voltron is supposed to be the most powerful weapon ever created.”

 

“And it is. That’s why Zarkon is so desperate to get his hands on it. He knows Voltron is the only thing that can defeat him.” 

 

“And how does the little sorceress come into play?”  the alien asked curiously, tilting their head slightly. 

 

“She’s a White Witch. She very well might be the only one who can face off against Hagger and the druids and hold her own.” Shiro’s eyes tightened in concern; he still didn’t like the idea, but she was their only hope against the Dark Witches. And he had to admit, she was proving herself capable. 

 

Kintak nodded understandingly. “You care for her and so you worry.”

 

Shiro sighed, looking at his hands. “Yea….and we had a really close call recently….”

 

“She is quite capable.” Kintak assured him. 

 

“I know…you both keep saying that….I suppose I’d have to see her in action….” The thought made him cringe. He’d much rather her be safely tucked away, far far away from any conflict. 

* * *

A few hours later, Sarah was once again seated in front of him. He had his hands in hers and was keeping very still; she was going to try and get him into the air vent with her. She was taking deep breaths, her eyes closed as she focused on her task. And then, in the blink of an eye, they were both sitting in a vent. 

 

Peeking an eye open tentatively, clapped excitedly when she saw she was successful. “Yay-!” she began, before realising she was getting loud and slapping her hand over her mouth. 

 

Shiro chuckled. “Okay, lead the way.” 

 

He followed her on his hands and knees through the shafts. She babbled the entire way, talking about various things she’d found or observed, some ideas she had for escaping; he loved it. But he did notice that she seemed to be dancing around something, as if she didn’t want to bring it up. When they reached one of the small rooms she had told him about, he decided to get to the point. 

 

“Sarah, why did you say earlier that you needed grenades? There’s something you’re not telling me, and I’d like to hear it.” 

 

She rocked back on her feet, like a child about to admit to wrong-doing. “Well….it’s kind of….big.” she began hesitantly. Shiro raised an eyebrow, but motioned for her to continue. “I don’t have it fully worked out yet, but….I want to destroy the arena. I don’t want anymore deaths in there. I want to end it.” 

 

“That….that is big.” he said, taking her hands and pulling her to him. “Its also noble. And not something you can do alone.” He kissed her on the head and wrapped his arms around her. “It might take more than just two of us.” 

 

Sarah nodded, leaning into him. “I can try to get more aliens out….not too many to where the Galra would start to notice….”

 

“Yea. We could-” he began, but was cut off by the sound of a roaring crowd. “Where are we?” he asked, frowning. 

 

Sarah pulled away and climbed into a shaft, waving him to follow. After turning left at a junction, the noise grew louder and at the end he looked out the grate and saw the arena. In the middle was a long, thin, snake-like creature, wrapping itself around one of the four pillars. Off to one side was a small, trembling form; an alien being forced to their inevitable death. “Where do they keep finding monsters?” Sarah grumbled, before vanishing. 

 

Shiro looked around, confused, and then saw the prisoner in the arena disappear along with another small form, who reappeared alone soon after. “No!” he cried, trying to think of a way to reach her. 

 

“Shiro, watch.” her voice commanded, drifting up to him from the arena floor. He didn’t want to, but he couldn’t bear to not watch, his eyes barely blinking as Sarah engaged the monster.


	30. The Sorceress Conquers

The giant snake creature actually hissed; Sarah almost laughed at the absurdity of it. “C’mon, c’mon….” she murmured, her knees bent, ready for it to strike. Finally, it lunged for her. Just before it reached her, she transported herself in a puff of smoke next to a pillar. After snapping to get its attention, it lunged for her again, and again the escaped its jaws, zipping to the other side of the arena. She goaded it around another pillar, before appearing on top of its opposite. The giant snake angrily launched itself at her, but she was already on the floor. When it dropped to the floor, she was on the opposite side of the arena. It stretched itself across, trying to reach her, but found it could not. 

 

Sarah smugly looked over her handiwork; the giant’s long body was tangled up amongst itself and the pillars. She took a moment to steady herself and focus her energy, closing her eyes. When she next opened them took a starting stance and then swung her arms down, creating a giant white slash that cut the monster to pieces. The audience erupted, the sound almost deafening. Annoyed, she transported herself to the small room she had dropped the alien in. “Stay here, okay? You’ll be safe for now, just be quiet and stay here.” She smiled when the alien nodded, and then transported herself to the small room she had shown Shiro.

 

Poking her head into the vent shaft, she said softly, “Shiro?” As her voice echoed, she heard a bang and then an “Ow!” before Shiro began hastily crawling towards her. As soon as he could stand upright, he scooped her up in his arms, hugging her tightly. 

 

“Please…give some warning or something next time, okay?” he whispered in her ear. Sarah opened her mouth to speak, but couldn’t think of the right words and so simply nodded. He pulled back, his eyes tracing every feature on her face. “I believe you now though. I….I had reservations. I’m sorry. I should have trusted you.” 

 

Sarah beamed, throwing her arms around his neck and pulling him into a kiss. “It’s okay, really.” she murmured as they rested their foreheads against each others. “I totally understand.”

 

“That was amazing and clever.” he said, gazing at her proudly. 

 

“Thank you…” she murmured, blushing.  

 

“So…about getting help….I think I have an idea who we could recruit.”

 

“I’m all ears.”


	31. Plan

“Okay, now that we’re all together.” Sarah said, addressing the small team they had formed. “Mousey, what was it you heard?” The alien with large, mouse-like ears nodded. When the creature had introduced themselves, Sarah and Shiro found they couldn’t pronounce the foreign alien name, and when the little witch asked if she could call them by a nickname, they approved; who were they to deny the sorceress anything?

 

“On the winds I hear of a Black Witch. She is drawn here by word of your deeds. There are whispers that she brings a creature of her own creation.”

 

“What could that mean?” Kintak, the willowy, three-eyed alien asked. 

 

“I know what it is.” Shiro said grimly. “Or, I’ve encountered her….creations….before. It’s likely to big and nasty.”

 

“What shall we do? What does the Black Witch intend?” Mousey asked, frightened. 

 

“Well, you guys are going to set up the explosives and wait for my signal.” Sarah said, looking at the three aliens in turn. “I have a feeling Hagger is gonna throw her toy in the arena, but either way, Shiro and I will take care of it.”

 

“But…how?” the small, meek alien Sarah had saved from the snake asked. 

 

“Yea, I’d kinda like to hear this as well. We had real trouble with Hagger’s monsters as Voltron, how are just the two of us going to take one on?” Shiro asked as he turned to face her. 

 

“Well, as Voltron, you guys were also big. It was big versus big. There are weaknesses you can only exploit if you are a lot smaller than your opponent. Like, especially if this one’s part machine….” she trailed off, waving her hands but at a loss for how to string her thoughts together. 

 

Shiro nodded, understanding. “I get it, that’s really clever.”

 

Sarah beamed happily. “And I’d wager Hagger isn’t thinking like that. She probably thinks that something she’d put up against Voltron should be enough to take me out, but she’s likely to never had to think small to get out of a situation. Bigger is not always better.” 

 

“That’s true. Powerful things sometimes come in very small packages.” he said, tapping her nose as she giggled. “Did you have an idea of where you wanted the explosives set up?”

 

“Honestly….not entirely. I was hoping to confer with you guys on that.” she said, looking to Shiro. 

 

“Hmmm….” he murmured thoughtfully. “Your end goal is to totally destroy the arena, right?” Sarah nodded slowly. “Well….under the stands would probably be the best place then. It’ll take out the support structure.”

 

She frowned and tilted her head to the side. “The stands? But wouldn’t there be like….people there?” Shiro nodded grimly and she caught on. “Oh…”

 

“War isn’t clean cut.” he said softly, taking her hand and squeezing it. 

 

“I know.” she sighed. “Or I should, by now.” She turned her gaze to the small, meek alien. “What was your name again, love?”

 

“Um….Jesaya….” the creature said, trembling slightly. 

 

“You know you don’t have to be afraid of us.” the small human said with a smile. 

 

“I….I know. It’s more….the location.” 

 

Sarah nodded. “I can understand that. Didn’t you mention something earlier about being able to get use grenades?” 

 

Jesaya looked between her and Shiro nervously before nodding. “I can um….it’s sort of like controlling someone’s actions, I suppose.”

 

Sarah’s eyes lit up as Shiro observed the small being curiously. “Would you be willing to get us a few things?”

 

“Um…I could try….”

* * *

“This is insane.” Sarah said a few hours later, staring at their sizeable pile of supplies Jesaya had procured for them. “How’d you get so much?”

 

The meek alien shrugged, embarrassed by the praise. “I just…impose my will on that of another…..my desires become theirs. But they notice no change.”

 

“That’s incredible.” Shiro said, inspecting the explosives. “We should be able to set these up and have them be triggered by one remote easily.” 

 

“Ha, these grenades are already on a like belt.” Sarah laughed, holding up the strap lined with hand grenades. 

 

“Do you intend to wear  it as a belt?” Mousey asked, shocked. 

 

“You bet your ass! This’ll be useful against Hagger’s pet.”

 

“When shall we begin?” Kintak asked, admiring some of the blaster guns. 

 

“Immediately.” Shiro said as he stood up. “No point waiting around. Let’s get to work!”


	32. The Arena's Downfall

“Well this is sooner than expected.” Sarah muttered  irritably, as she and Shiro looked out at the arena together. They had been on their way to join the three aliens beneath the stands when the audience erupted oddly. In the center of the pit was a towering creature with a long snout. It had two tanks seemingly embedded in its back. These were connected by tubes to twin cylindrical contraptions, one on either side of its face. 

 

“Yea…the timetable’s moved up. Can you get a message to the others?” Shiro asked, still watching the monster. 

 

“Yup.” Sarah closed her eyes and relayed the update to the others. She also instructed them to hide until they hear the blasts, and then to find a ship to get them out of Galra territory. “Okay.” she said, opening her eyes. “Shall we?” She held out her hand, smirking. 

 

“No time like the present.” Shiro replied lightly, taking her hand. 

 

In the blink of an eye, the two were standing on the arena floor. The crowd erupted, but Sarah couldn’t tell if they were cheers or jeers. Either way, it didn’t matter. The monster before them roared, and then launched streams of fire from the nozzles on either side of its mouth. Sarah and Shiro ducked from the heat, but Sarah straightened up with a giddy smile. “Ohohoho…i have an idea.” she said as it began lumbering towards them. “When I tell you, cut the fuel lines okay?” 

 

“Gotcha.” Shiro said, nodding. 

 

He ran off around the edge of the pit to get behind it; Sarah made a small light show to keep its attention on her. When it got closer, she transported herself to the top of one of the pillars, adjusting her footing so she didn’t slide off. When the monster found her again, she pulled three grenades off her makeshift belt and transported herself far into the air above, floating slightly by manipulating quintessence. After she managed to recapture its attention, she waited until she saw flames rushing towards her to pull the pins on the grenades and toss them up. As she began to fall, she quickly transported herself to the ground, rolling before coming to a stop on her knees. “NOW!” she yelled. She saw Shiro jumped onto the creature’s back and make short work of its fuel lines. As he somersaulted off, the creature became drenched in its flammable liquid. At the same time, its stream of fire connected with her grenades and the resulting explosion shook the enter facility. The ceiling began to crumble and fall all around them. As Shiro returned, she pulled the pin on another grenade and threw it at the stumbling, confused monster. The two watched as it exploded and the creature was immediately enveloped in flames. Its screeching melted into the cacophony that had erupted in the stands, as the audience fled. Seconds later, the stands disappeared into fire and dust and smoke. 

 

“C’mon.” Shiro said, grabbing her hand. Sarah nodded and warped them out to the nearest hanger. Mousey, Kintak, and Jesaya were just entering the hanger from a hall to their right. The five made a beeline for one of the larger Galra ships. Jesaya reached it first, but came a halt when they saw the soldier coming down the ramp. 

 

“No!” Sarah whispered, panicking slightly and trying to run faster; but she was still too far away to reach the small creature, and her eyes widened in fear as the Galra raised his weapon. 

 

Jesaya raised her hand and said something in a strange tongue, and suddenly the soldier had dropped his weapon and was calmly leaving the hanger. When Sarah reached the little alien, she hugged them tightly. “Ohmygod I thought we were gonna lose you.” 

 

“Oh. Um….” Jesaya didn’t seem to know how to respond and was rescued from a long awkward moment by Shiro. 

 

“Everyone in, let’s go.” he said, gently pushing Sarah inside and waving the others in. 

 

“Shiro, don’t push me.” she whined jokingly. 

 

“Leaving so soon?” a chilling voice asked, echoing throughout the hanger despite the ongoing cacophony around them. 

 

Shiro and Sarah shared panicked looks before looking around; the Black Witch was to their right, halfway down the hanger. “Sarah don’t engage, let’s just go.” Shiro said, pulling her inside as the others got situated inside. 

 

“I wasn’t going to.” she said, confused. “This isn’t the time nor the place.” 

 

Shiro jumped into the pilot seat and, connecting his arm with the ship’s system, closed the ramp and began to take off. The ship rocked suddenly as something blasted into its side. 

 

“Pain in my goddamn ass….” Sarah muttered, closing her eyes. She focused on wrapping the ship in a quintessence barrier, making Hagger’s attacks ricochet around the hanger. 

 

“Okay I’m out.” Shiro said after a moment, and she relaxed, letting the barrier go. 

 

Curious, she looked out the front window, and her eyes widened. They had been in Zarkon’s system the whole time. “Kayla….” she whispered, touching the glass. She was so close to her sister. But she knew they couldn’t go in now; they wouldn’t make it out alive. As Shiro navigated them out of the chaos, she sat down and reached far out with quintessence, looking for Kayla. If she could just connect, she could let her sister know that she was going to be saved. She gritted her teeth, trying not to strain herself but wanting desperately to reach Kayla. She managed to find her sister’s signature and connected with it for half a second before her eyes flew open and she found herself panting. 

 

“Sarah, you okay?” Shiro asked from the front. 

 

“Yea….i found Kayla. She’s okay….” she said, taking deep breaths. “I think…I’m gonna nap now…..” 

* * *

“I’m so sorry.” Keith repeated after they had regrouped and docked in the castle hanger. 

 

“Dude, its fine, everything worked out okay.” Sarah said for what felt like the millionth time. 

 

Shiro, however, was reprimanding him at the same time she was forgiving him. Sarah slinked away slightly, feeling awkward as Keith was scolded. 

 

“I’m so relieved.” Allura said, tugging her into a hug _again_

 

“You and me both. But….I don’t know, I guess I just never doubted we’d get out safely.” she shrugged her small shoulders. “Maybe its just the optimist in me.” 

 

“You have got to tell me everything. How did you escape? Where were you taken?” 

 

Sarah clapped giddily. “Oh I’d love to, its so cool. Ah-” She paused as a thought came to mind. “Um….what about our friends? Can they stay or do we need to like….I don’t know….” she trailed off. 

 

“Oh well….it’s a big castle….but we’re going to be in danger and combat a lot….” the Princess said uncertainly. “I wouldn’t mind them staying, but I think it would be fair for you to ask the others, and let them know how dangerous our missions tend to be.” 

 

Sarah nodded pensively. 

 

“Okay, now tell me everything.” Allura grabbed Sarah’s hands excitedly.

 

“Sure thing, then you have to fill me in on what happened with Mullet.” she replied, and both girls giggled. “Okay,  so we were kind of sucked up, so they didn’t know it was us, and then we were taken to the gladiator arena…..”


	33. A Most Important Question

Finding the planet had been a stroke of luck. Shiro had really only been looking for a mostly uninhabited planet outside Galra control; the small, unassuming blue sphere he stumbled upon was an unexpected but welcome find. 

 

“OoooOOOooh, it’s pretty.” Sarah cooed, eyes wide as they approached it. 

 

“It’s even prettier from the ground.” he said, unable to stop smiling. “You’re gonna love it.”

 

He had suggested the date somewhat out of the blue, as he had been trying to figure out just how to ask her for several hours. He knew he shouldn’t be so nervous, as they had discussed their hypothetical future before. But this was now a very real situation. 

 

They landed the pod in a small forest clearing. The planet’s star was just sinking down past the horizon, bathing the blueish-green flora in a soft pink light. What looked like swarms of fireflies hovered throughout, giving the forest a magical feel. Shiro took her hand and escorted through a part in the trees, leading the way slowly as she gazed around in awe. At one point, she stumbled slightly, not really paying attention to where she was walking; he turned and walked backwards, taking both her hands so she could continue looking around while he guided her. After a moment they reached another clearing, with a blanket spread across the floor in the center. 

 

“Are we star gazing?” she asked, looking up through the break in the tree tops. 

 

“Yup. C’mon.” he chuckled as he led her to the blanket. 

 

After she curled up in his arms and they got comfortable, they watched the stars reveal themselves as the sunlight receded. Several times he tried to work up his courage, fiddling with the ring in his pocket, only to mentally chicken out. Finally, he bit his lip and turned, hovering over her. 

 

“Sarah….I love you so much. I can’t imagine life without you….you’ve saved me so many times, in so many ways…I never knew I could be so happy. And….if you’ll let me…” He pulled the angelic ring from his pocket. “I’d like to be by your side forever and do everything in my power to make you the happiest woman in the universe.” Her eyes were wide and her face was beet red, or at least what he could see of it; she was hiding most of her face behind her fingers. “Will you marry me?” 

 

She squealed, completely covering her face, but nodded. He sighed, relieved, before chuckling. 

 

“May I have your hand, princess?” Sarah made another adorable noise before holding out her left hand. After Shiro slipped the ring on her finger, she wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly and almost causing him to fall over. “Are you okay…?”

 

“I don’t know how to handle being so happy!!” she whined. 

 

He laughed and pushed them up into a sitting position before wrapping his arms around her thin frame. 

 

“I love you.” she whispered softly, sniffling slightly. 

 

“Are you crying?”

 

“They’re happy tears, shut up.”


	34. Stowaway

Sarah hummed as she scrolled through her phone, absentmindedly playing with her fiance’s two toned hair as he rested his head in her lap. Their peaceful moment was interrupted when Allura rushed into the lounge, her dress swirling around her. 

 

“Sarah, we’ve been hailed by your brother. He’s requesting permission to dock and refuel in our hanger.”

 

Sarah raised a confused eyebrow. “The fuck is he doing out here?” 

 

“Maybe he’s just dropping by to say hello?” Shiro joked as he sat up. He chuckled when she rolled her eyes. “Might as well see what he wants.” 

 

“Yea…” she sighed, following the other two out of the room. 

 

When they reached the control room, Coran pulled her brother up on the holoscreen. 

 

“Hey, there she is.” Krisox said with a smirk. “So, do I have permission to step foot in your gleaming, divine halls or what?”

 

“I dunno, what do you want?” Sarah asked skeptically. 

 

Her brother mock pouted, though it was slightly difficult to see with his large, muted eyes. Sarah one hundred percent suspected he picked that up from her and Kayla. “You don’t trust me?” Sarah raised an eyebrow and he rolled his eyes. “Fine. I need your help with something. And I do need to refuel.”

 

Sarah looked to Allura, who shrugged. “I don’t see why not.” 

 

“I want to be there when he lands though.” Shiro said, watching the orange alien like a hawk. 

 

“Okay, you can dock.” Sarah said as Shiro turned and headed towards the hanger. “See you in a bit.”

 

Five minutes later, Krisox was lazily leaning against his small, sharp craft as Hunk worked on getting it fuel. Sarah, Shiro, and the other Paladins were gathered around him; Allura had preferred to stay in the control room, not feeling comfortable with the idea of being in Krisox’s presence again. Sarah couldn’t blame her. 

 

“So why do you need me help?” she asked, scrutinizing her brother, her thin arms crossed over her small chest. 

 

“There’s something I need to get from home. I don’t want to ask my mates cause, well…..they don’t need to know where I come from. I need someone who knows Stiea K2 in and out.” 

 

Sarah tilted her head to the side, curious. “What do you need from home? I thought you didn’t leave anything when you left.”

 

“Well, that’s mostly true. But I hid a few things. Can’t trust Vaynov worth a shit so….” he trailed off, shrugging. 

 

“Yea that makes sense.” she nodded. “But why do you need help? Should be a simple in and out thing.”

 

“Well if you recall, Galra kind of broke through their defenses. The place is crawling with purple bots. I need someone I trust to watch my back, someone who knows the lay of the land.”

 

“You want her to go into Galra infested territory with you…..alone? Really?” Shiro said, watching him through narrowed eyes.

 

“Well….yea.” Krisox replied, shrugging. “I know she can take care of herself and I know she knows the area. We wouldn’t get caught.” 

 

“He has a point.” Sarah said as Shiro opened his mouth to speak again. “It wouldn’t take that long. We’d be in and out in a day probably.”

 

“Okay, but I’m coming with you.” Shiro insisted. 

 

“No, Shiro, you don’t know Stiea K2….it’s my home, I grew up there, I know it like the back of my hand. Honestly….and for the love of all that is good and holy, please don’t take offense to this….” she bit her lip before proceeding. “You’d probably slow us down more than anything. But like, not just you, everyone.” she added quickly when he deflated. “Krisox and I are the only ones on this ship who can do this quickly and without being detected.”

 

“Well you don’t know that,” Lance said cockily. “Some of us can be pretty stealthy when we want to be.” 

 

“Lance I don’t have the patience right now, please, let the adults talk.” Sarah said, harsher than she had intended. Her brother had a knack for putting her on edge and in a foul mood. 

 

“Besides,” Krisox said, smirking as he moved to place an arm around Sarah’s shoulders. “It’ll be good sibling bonding time!” 

 

“Krisox, I swear to god, if you don’t move your arm you are going to lose it.” Sarah hissed. 

* * *

Three hours later, Sarah and Krisox were in the latter’s craft, well on their way to their home planet. It had taken Sarah about thirty minutes to convince Shiro that, yes, her omniphone could reach the castle from anywhere in the universe, and yes, she would talk to him frequently. She was texting him in that moment, along with the million other things she did on her phone. 

 

“Do you ever put that thing down?” Krisox asked, slightly teasing, breaking the hour-long silence. 

 

“I mean I don’t take it into the bathroom, and it has to charge sometime.” she replied seriously without looking up. 

 

“Are you on it when you and Shiro-?”

 

“Is that really the kind of question you should ask?” she interrupted irritably, a slight blush forming. 

 

Krisox laughed at her becoming uncomfortable. “Honestly, nothing’s off-limits on Vaynov. Sorry if it’s too…personal.” He winked at her, causing her to roll her eyes. 

 

They sank into another silence, this one awkward and heavy. When it was broken, they both jumped.

 

“Ha! See, I am totally stealthy.” Lance said from the back of the ship. 

 

“Lance what the fuck?!” Sarah asked incredulously. 

 

“Totally proved you wrong. You guys didn’t even know I was hiding. I can totally go on this mission.” he said smugly. 

 

“Oh my god, Lance….” 

 

“Can I launch this one into space?” Krisox asked.

 

Sarah gave him a look before video-calling Shiro on her omniphone. “Hey, are you missing anyone?” she asked when he answered. 

 

“Oh no, tell me he didn’t…” Shiro said, exasperated. 

 

“Hey, you won’t let your brother actually launch me into space, will you? Cause the castle totally tried that once and-” 

 

“Lance I will kill you with a goddamn cheese puff, sit down and shut up for right now.” Sarah said sternly, causing her brother to burst into laughter. 

 

“Can you guys turn around?” Shiro asked; Sarah looked to Krisox.

 

“We’re like thirty earth minutes out, I’d really rather not.”

 

“Ha! Looks like you’re stuck with me.” Lance said in an annoyingly cocky tone. 

 

“Lance!” Sarah and Shiro said warningly, at the same time. 

 

“Sheesh, mom and dad.” the Paladin responded, rolling his eyes. 

 

“You are so fucking grounded.”


	35. Home

“Okay, you remember what we told you?” Sarah asked Lance as Krisox maneuvered his craft around Stiea K2′s artificial moon. The satellite functioned as a relay for all manner of signals. It boosted the outgoing wavelengths, and filtered out the universe’s noise from the incoming. It also hid small craft that flew close to it from radars and scanners. They would be in the blindspot long enough to reach the planet’s surface, but would have to disembark quickly. 

 

“I shadow you and only you. I stay close. I stay quiet. I don’t ask questions. I do as you tell me when you tell me.” the Blue Paladin said, counting off his fingers. “Did I miss anything?”

 

“Not that I can think of. How’s it goin, Krisox?” she asked over her shoulder as her brother began the descent. 

 

“So far so good. I don’t think I can get us to the Xeno-science district but I can get us close.”

 

“Close works.” 

* * *

After they landed, Krisox activated his ship’s cloaking device, making it completely disappear and masking its energy signature. When asked about the advanced technology, he winked and held a finger to his lips, smirking. Sarah rolled her eyes and dropped the subject. 

 

They had landed in the Political Science district, which was a neighbour to their old home, the Xeno-Science District. It was smaller than most of the science sections, but it was heavily specialised and the community had become close-knit. Krisox’s departure seriously shook the district to its core; there had never been any kind of rift of that nature before. But the other scientists and their families came through for Sarah’s family, ceaselessly offering support and aid. The diversity of the families and their bonding spoke volumes about Stiea K2′s goal for peace and harmony throughout the universe. A noble goal Zarkon had dashed in one fell swoop. 

 

The streets, alleys, and under-ways were deserted. The only sign of the Galra occupation was the sheer lack of _any_ living or moving thing. 

 

“This…..is weird?” Sarah said, unsure, as they took a shortcut through the under-way. “Did they just transport _everyone_ off world? That’s like several billion people.”

 

“Yea, iunno….” Krisox murmured. “I know they can’t have reached everyone. The Deep Slums are virtually unreachable unless you already know the way.”

 

“Wait, that’s real?”

 

“Uh, yea.” her brother chuckled. “Not everything is pristine and perfect, doll.”

 

“Well I mean I knew there were problems…..” she trailed off, deep in thought. 

 

They passed most of the rest of the day in a cautious silence, Lance staying true to their agreement, Sarah lost in thought, and Krisox alert, eyes looking everywhere. 

 

As Stiea K2′s star began to sink below the horizon, they reached their old home. The multi-level building consisted of unevenly stacked compartments, all rounded edges and large, circle windows. Sarah transported herself to the other side of the front door to unlock it, and closed it behind the boys quietly. 

 

It looked like a tornado had blown through the inside of their home; furniture was turned over, papers and debris were all over the floor, and there were shattered glass sculptures by the dining room window. With its open floor plan, they could almost see into every room downstairs, and it seemed like it was a mess throughout. 

 

“Krisox….” Sarah said cautiously as her brother began to ascend the stairs. 

 

“What is it?” he asked without stopping. 

 

Lance, sensing her tone, tensed, reaching for his bayard. 

 

“We aren’t alone….”


	36. Not Alone

“What’d you say?” Krisox asked, his voice slightly muffled. Sarah heard a door creak and her brothers footsteps directly above her. For a moment, her and Lance were quiet, listening carefully, but all they heard was Krisox rummaging through one of the rooms. “I wonder if they found and moved it.” he called down to them. “You gonna come up here and-aughh!” 

 

Without hesitation, Sarah and Lance bounded up the stairs. As they rounded the curve, they saw Krisox sprawled on his back, holding his hands up. “Hey, we mean well, we aren’t Galra!” he said, slightly irritably, to the two humanoids standing over him. They were covered from head to toe in rags and mismatched armour, their faces covered by masks that made them look like giant flies. Each were holding a heavy weapon, but lowered them as one pulled their mask over their head. 

 

“Aya?!” Krisox asked incredulously. “What the hell are you doing here?” 

 

The pink alien had large, armour-like scales, no noticeable nose, and snake-like eyes. “Look who’s talking.” she said, reaching her hand to help him up. “Most of us thought you up and died.” Aya’s gaze moved to Sarah and Lance. “Who they?” 

 

“The small one is my sister, Sarah. I told you about my sisters, remember?” Krisox said as he dusted rubble off him. “The other one is a Voltron Paladin.” 

 

The being still in their mask snickered. “That’s a good one, Stardown.” they said as they, too, removed their mask. They shook a cascade of purple tentacles out of the constraints, letting them tumble freely down their back. Their four, small eyes switched from Krisox and Aya. Their blue face faded in colour to green and then purple. “Now who is it, really?”

 

“I really am a Voltron Paladin!” Lance said indignantly. 

 

“Lance, shush.” Sarah hissed, elbowing him in the ribs. 

 

“I’m being serious, Flayga. Believe it or not, Voltron’s real, Alteans exist, and little Sarah here is planning an assault on Zarkon.” Krisox chuckled. Aya and Flayga stared at the small human girl curiously. 

 

“What makes a little like you think you can go against the Galra?” Aya asked skeptically. 

 

Sarah raised an eyebrow, slightly annoyed. “Cause I can do this.” she said simply, disappearing in a wisp of gray smoke and appearing behind them in the same second. The two jumped slightly, startled, but impressed. 

 

“Mine eyes not seen a White Witch since Stardown came to us.” Flayga said, closely inspecting Sarah. The strange alien grabbed her thin arm and held it close to her eyes. “Most curious.” 

 

“Uhhh…” Sarah started, uncertainly, looking to her brother. 

 

“Flayga, that’s what humans would call an invasion of personal space.” he said, smirking with his eyes. 

 

“I know not human customs, I care not human customs.” they said, not pausing in their inspection. 

 

“Krisox, why do they keep calling you Stardown?” Sarah asked in the hopes of diverting Flayga’s attention. It didn’t work. 

 

“Cause of my colouring. They said I looked like what humans call a sunset.”

 

“Where are you from?” Lance asked Flayga, hoping to relieve Sarah of the curious alien’s eyes. This didn’t work, either. 

 

“Flayga, release, you make her uncomfortable.” Aya said sternly. Flayga dropped Sarah’s arm reluctantly, allowing Sarah to scurry back to her former position next to Lance. “We are of the Lost Girls of the Deep Slums. After the Galra came and took all they could, they moved to the Sports Sector. We scavenge now. But must be wary of Galra scouts. They know of Deep Slums, but cannot find.”

 

“Since your scavenging in our old house, could I ask what you’ve procured?” Krisox asked casually. 

 

“We no find your treasure if that is what you are asking.” Aya said, smirking. “We look for food, cloth, useful items. Your item is not useful to us.” 

 

“Oh well. I’ll go look in the labs then, maybe mom and dad found it and moved it there…” he mused. 

 

“What the fuck even are you looking for?” Sarah asked, tilting her head. 

 

“That’s for me to know and you to not give a shit about.” he said airily. 

 

“Whatever.” she grumbled, rolling her eyes. “I can at least get what I came for.” 

 

“Stardown,” Flayga began, as Sarah skirted past them. “Scout patrols are regular. One will be here soon. You remember how to come down?”

 

As Sarah entered Kayla’s room, she left the door open so she could listen. She didn’t hear her brother respond but got the feeling he had nodded, as the two strangers descended the stairs. Sarah found what she was looking for on Kayla’s bed; her blanket and plush dog. When they had been taken from Earth, the girls had managed to bring with them two possessions each; it was of utmost importance that she keep her sister’s possessions safe. She grabbed a back bag that had been strewn on the floor and stuffed the blanket and the dog inside before sliding it onto her shoulders. 

 

“So, you want to explore the labs?” she asked, leaving her sister’s room. 

 

“Yup. You sure you wanna come? They’re really dark what with the power turned off….” Krisox said, teasing her; she had a well known fear of the dark. 

 

“I’ll be okay, I have my phone on me.” she said stiffly. 

 

“Let’s get going then.” her brother chuckled.


	37. Down Below

Sarah and Krisox stopped bickering when they entered the underground laboratory. The complex was massive, and was where all Xeno-scientists conducted research and experiments. Each scientist was connected to the subterranean labyrinth via their home’s basement; it was more efficient than them having to leave their house to go to work. Sarah remembered when she was first led through the labs. The intimidating gray, steel walls seemed to tower over her and her sister. She vividly remembered being told to stay quiet, as even slightest noise could echo tremendously. They only stayed in the observation room for two days, and their adoptive parents only ever left the girls’ side to use facilities or check up on Krisox. 

 

As they passed through the eerily ajar heavy steel door, Sarah told Lance in a low whisper to be as quiet as possible. They didn’t know if the Galra scouts routes were above ground or below, or possibly both. 

 

The stark gray halls were black as pitch, requiring the three to turn on their phones’ lights to illuminate the way. The usually pristine halls were in utter disarray, with papers scattered everywhere and various equipment shattered on the ground. 

 

“Damn…” Krisox murmured softly. “I guess everyone thought they could barricade themselves in.” His fingers grazed a wall decorated with black scorch marks. “I don’t think it went well.” 

 

“I don’t want to think about that right now.” Sarah whispered, trying to fight the feeling of dread rising in her core. Krisox simply nodded, seemingly lost in thought. “Where do you think they might’ve put it?” 

 

“First guess would be the earth observation room.” 

 

“You said xeno-science earlier, what is that?” Lance asked. 

 

“Alien species.” Sarah answered after sharply shushing him. “A xeno-biologist would study the biology of various races. A xeno-archaeologist would study the history. Now keep your voice down, sound echoes like a bitch down here.” 

 

The three spent the next half hour mostly in silence, treading carefully over the debris. The ceiling had collapsed in some parts, requiring them to carefully squeeze through a mess of steel, wires, and dirt. They turned a corner into a smaller hallway lined with doors and windows. Sarah could barely see through the dust and debris, but thought she saw an un-moving alien form in one. She backed away, startled and horrified, and kept her gaze strictly forward from then on. 

 

“Here we are.” Krisox whispered after a long silence. Sarah was quite impressed by Lance being able to stay quiet for so long. _Maybe I won’t ground him._ “Aw shit the door’s kind of stuck.” Krisox heaved himself against it; the sliding door budge slightly, and after a few more tries it gave. 

 

The room was mostly as she remembered it; it was set up to resemble a human child’s bedroom; it had two small beds, each with a nightstand and a small lamp, a book case full of picture books and toys, and a chest at the end of each bed. However, everything was now covered in a fine layer of dust and debris spilled out of the ceiling in one corner. The once bright and colourful walls now had a dull gray filter. Krisox began rummaging through the chests, pulling out old toys and clothes that had once been hers or Kayla’s. Sarah tried not to feel guilty for the abandoned toys. 

 

“It’s not here either.” Krisox sighed in frustration, straightening up. “I guess we could try-”

 

He cut himself off as a distant sound found its way to them. Marching footsteps. A gruff voice. The siblings looked to each other, wide eyed. They hurried out to rejoin Lance in the hall. The sounds were coming from where they had come from; they needed to find an alternate route. “Stay close.” she whispered to Lance who nodded. The three jogged quietly further down the hall and then onto an even smaller one. 

 

They were making good, safe progress, when suddenly Lance tripped and fell, making a loud crash as he toppled over a table trying to regain his balance. He created even more noise when he cried out in revulsion and fear. Turning around, Sarah saw he had tripped over a corpse. She rushed over, pulling him up and towing him along, all the while trying to keep his mind off the dead body and keep her sheet white face out of view. 

 

The cacophony hadn’t gone unnoticed. They heard several pairs of feet running, and even closer was a beeping noise, stalking them like a camouflaged predator. 

 

“Shit….” Krisox muttered, taking a left where Sarah had expected a right. “Over here!” he hissed, prying up a floor tile. Beneath it was a large, wide tube that sloped into darkness. 

 

“Krisox what the fu-” 

 

“Just get in!”

 

Lance slid in first, quickly disappearing. Sarah held her brother’s gaze for a moment, before nodding and slipping in, feet first. Everything turned to black, and somewhere ahead of her she heard Lance whooping and hollering like he was on a ride. Sarah felt very alone and very scared not being able to see, so she squeezed her eyes shut and covered them; it helped somehow. An unexpected change in degree of the slope startled her, making her squeak, as she caught some airtime before landing hard against the now steeper tube. It wasn’t long before she felt it even out and herself slowing as a result. Daring to peek between her fingers she saw a light at the end. Shadows moved across it, causing it to flicker. She slowed to a halt a little bit before the light and froze, unsure of what to do next. Who were those people at the end? Where was she? 

 

“Sarah, it’s cool, come on out.” Lance said from the light. Hesitantly she did, and found herself in the presence of Aya and Flayga, among others. 

 

Behind her she heard ecstatic hollering that grew closer and closer until her brother rolled out smoothly. Straightening up he beamed. “Welcome to the Deep Slums, sister dear!”


	38. Become More

Sarah couldn’t help but stare all around them. The Lost Girls were being very hospitable, providing space for her, Krisox, and Lance to stay for a short period of time. The three were not permitted in the lower levels, however; Aya explained that Uptops had to go through a rigorous series of tests and inspections before they were allowed to join the general population of the Deep Slums. The Lost Girls acted as a sort of military defense force for those who lived below ground. They were a diverse mixture of species and genders, each trained in various combat roles. Before the Galra, they had mostly just made supply runs to the surface. Now, they did that, and attacked Galra encampments and outposts. Flayga said they hoped to one day be able to free people from imprisonment, but they weren’t quite there yet. 

 

“We no have numbers. We take out scouts but they an army surrounding Stieans.” they said sadly. 

 

“I mean, you might be surprised.” Sarah brightly. “From what I’ve seen most Galra forces are robots. Get in a few EMP bursts, and then you only have a handful of actual Galra to worry about.” 

 

Flayga stared curiously at her; it felt like her four small eyes were peering into her soul. Sarah shifted uncomfortably. “How do you have thoughts such as these.” 

 

“I…..uh…” Sarah began unsteadily. “I just…..I don’t know….imagine hypothetical scenarios and plan for them….?” The girl shrugged, not really sure how to explain herself. 

 

The curious alien tilted their head, their purple tentacles swaying. Their face rotated through the colour wheel as they appraised the small human.   
“Aya!” they called suddenly, without breaking their gaze away from Sarah. “This one has ideas.” 

 

“What ideas?” Aya asked as she trotted over. Krisox looked up from a map of the surrounding districts he had been going over with Aya, his puzzled gaze following her. Lance, of course. was off flirting somewhere. 

 

“Uhm…well I just uh….” Sarah started after Flayga gestured for her to speak. “I said you could take out a lot of Galra forces with some EMP bursts. They’re mostly robots. After that, you’d just have to deal with a handful of Galra soldiers. If you put together some strike teams and coordinate your attacks, you’re very likely to succeed.” 

 

Aya’s eyes widened in surprise and she shared a meaningful look with Flayga. “Little Witch,” she began after turning her attention back to Sarah. “Do you know any weapons?”

 

“Uh….not particularly, no…..” 

 

“Flayga, take her. Give her the long-shooter. Teach her.” Aya said before walking back to Krisox and the map. 

 

Flayga took Sarah’s hand and led her to the hall. “What are you doing with my sister?” she heard Krisox ask, confused and curious. 

 

“We train her.” she heard Aya say before she was out of earshot. 

 

The strange, colourful alien led Sarah to a long room that looked like a firing range. Flayga let go of her hand and disappeared into an automatic sliding door. A moment later, she came back with what looked like a Galran sniper rifle. Without warning, she dropped it in Sarah’s hands; she almost fell. 

 

“Careful, Little Witch.”

 

“You didn’t have to drop it like that, it’s really heavy….” Sarah said irritably. 

 

Flayga ignored her commented and turned her to face the far wall, which was covered in targets and scorch marks. They spent the next few minutes moving Sarah as though she were a ball-jointed doll, setting up her positioning and holding of the gun. After the alien was satisfied, they described each part of the rifle in detail, while simultaneously walking her through displaying their function. 

 

At the end of the hour, she hadn’t even fired a shot, but she didn’t mind too much. The weapon was heavy and menacing in her slender hands. She was terrified of actually firing it, but knew that was coming sooner rather than later. 

 

Sure enough, Flyaga took a step back and nodded. “Look through scope. Take shot. Target not matter right now.”

 

“Uhm…..okay….” Sarah said uncertainly. It was a bit difficult to look through the scope at the far wall with her glasses, but did her best. Her eyes tried to give her double vision, but she actively focused on what the right eye was perceiving. When she figured she had a good enough view, she took a deep breath and pulled the trigger. 

 

The recoil almost knocked her over backwards. But it was the utter volume of the rifle firing that caused her to clamp her hands over her ears, whimpering. Flayga had quick reflexes; they caught the gun half a second after Sarah dropped it. 

 

“What is matter?” they asked, leaning the rifle against the nearest wall. “Loud?”

 

Sarah nodded shakily; she had been afraid of loud noises ever since she was a child on Earth. She distinctly remembered hiding in her parents car whenever they wanted to watch fireworks. 

 

Flayga smiled reassuringly. “Fear not Little Witch. Noise no hurt you. I find you ear covers.”

 

The alien stepped back through the automatic sliding door. Cautiously, Sarah removed her hands from her ears. She felt stupid for not thinking about it earlier; all guns made noise and most of them were loud. But she had been so focused on Flayga’s teachings it hadn’t crossed her mind. A moment later Flayga returned with what looked like a gray headset. She slipped the large earpieces over Sarah’s ears, and suddenly everything was silent. She hadn’t noticed the hum of machinery or the gentle commotion of people as the moved about. Now all she could hear was her soft heartbeat. Flayga mimed holding the gun and firing, and Sarah nodded, picking it up from the wall. She resumed the position, with Flayga adjusting her here and there, and once more fired. 

 

She braced for the recoil, preventing it from making her lose her footing, and found that all she heard as barely audible ‘bang’. She turned to Flayga and smiled. The alien returned the smile and slid the headset off. 

 

“You learn with this now. Sounds not so loud.” 

 

Sarah nodded, positively beaming. _I’m learning something that’ll help in the war!_ she thoughht happily. _I’m not just magic anymore; I’m more._


	39. Strike Back

Sarah spent the majority of the next few days under Flayga’s tutelage. The  colourful alien trained her in the shooting range and above ground on Galra scout sentries. She wasn’t the best shot in the world, but she was improving every day.

 

Sarah hadn’t really spoken to Aya since the day she told Flayga to teach her, and so didn’t have many opportunities to ask her about her motivations. As the days passed, the small human grew frustrated with this lack of communication. Her mentor wouldn’t comment, keeping their conversations strictly on learning to shoot. It didn’t help that she only ever caught glimpses of Krisox; he was always deep in conversation with Aya and a few other serious looking aliens. She shared a room with Lance, if you could call it such; it was really just a cubicle formed by flimsy tarps stretched over pipes, with two cots taking up almost the entire space. When it had first been set up for her and Lance Aya said they usually didn’t section off space, as there wasn’t much and the Lost Girls shared it, but as they were not used to such open accommodations they were given a private space. For now. 

 

“And I really can’t even send morse code.” Sarah asked Flayga, though it was more of a statement. The two were on the roof of a home in the AstroPhysics district as Sarah practised shooting distant sentries. She had been told that they couldn’t send signals out, as it would alert the Galra to their location. She just didn’t understand why she couldn’t send something simple and then return to the Deep Slums immediately after. But Flayga refused to bend. 

 

“No, Little Witch!” they said irritably. “Too risky. Take the bot to the left.” They peered through specialised binoculars, giving Sarah targets for her to try and hit dead on. 

 

Though Sarah wasn’t one for conflict, she grew more and more annoyed with the situation and found herself unwilling to hide it. Nonetheless, she looked through the scope and after some adjusting shot its arm off. 

 

“Good, but you want head.” 

 

Sarah scowled but tried again, taking a bit more time to make sure she hit the mark. It wasn’t the center of the robots head, but it was still its head and Flayga seemed happy with it. 

 

“I just want to get a message to my fiance saying we’re okay, he and our friends are probably worried sick.” 

 

“If Little Witch does not drop this I will take phone and break it.” Flayga growled, causing Sarah to recoil. 

 

Sarah pouted as they wrapped up and returned to the underground sanctuary. The two walked in an irritable silence for most of the return trip. “Can I at least see my brother?” she asked after a long while. 

 

“I shall see.” Flayga sighed. Sarah got the feeling the colourful alien hadn’t had much experience with the stubbornness of humans.  

 

When they reached the main hub for the Lost Girls they found Flayga didn’t need to fetch Krisox; he and Aya were waiting for them. 

 

“What’s up….” Sarah asked suspiciously. 

 

“We like your plan.” Aya said, smiling. “We put it in motion tomorrow.” 

 

“My….what?” Sarah asked, confused. 

 

“The EMP burst thing.” Krisox explained. “You were just spit ballin’ but they’ve gone and taken it seriously.” 

 

Sarah blinked, surprised. “Oh….okay. Was that why you had Flayga teach me how to use the long-shooter?” 

 

Aya nodded. “You and Flayga take bots that still stand.” She motioned for Flayga and Krisox to follow her. “Sleep well Little Witch. Be ready.”

 

* * *

Sarah was nervous most of the next day. She had only barely started learning how to use a gun and now she was being thrown into combat with it, though she was rather far from the actual combat itself. The plan was to have the EMP devices burst at the same time; they had been put in place around the stadium, where most of the Galra forces were situated, earlier in the day. Each had been programmed with a timer, scheduled to go off as the sun set. Between then and the present, five strike teams had maneuvered into place to be ready to attack once the sentries were down. The team leaders were connected via comm units to each other, Flayga, Sarah, and one other sniper. Krisox was a leader, with Lance part of his team. She wasn’t at all comfortable with the situation, but found herself mostly powerless to change any part of the plan. 

 

“They go soon.” Aya’s voice crackled in her ear. Sarah peered through her gun’s scope, following the movements of various robots that marched around the perimeter. Aya had estimated that most of the robots both inside and outside the stadium would be taken down by the bursts, but wanted eyes watching over the attack just in case. 

 

When the EMP devices activated, Sarah jumped. Almost in the blink of an eye, what looked like a dome of electricity consumed the stadium, and then was gone. The sentries fell, twitching as some short-circuited. As the strike teams launched into action, Sarah scanned the perimeter for any Galra movement. She didn’t see any stirring from the fallen bots, but heard another sniper take a shot. Soon the teams disappeared inside, and all Sarah heard was shooting and grunts and yelling. 

 

A few minutes after the teams had entered, Flayga noticed a few Galra troops storming inside. It occurred to her that the plan hadn’t accounted for the other Galra posts, and she began to look around frantically for any sign of approaching Galra. But she didn’t see anything. It was then that she noticed flashes of light from a building a few blocks away from her. Squinting her eyes, she could just make out a few Lost Girls crawling through it, and she realised Aya must have planned that as well and purposefully withheld information from all parties. Sarah couldn’t blame her; an earth saying did state you don’t want all your eggs in one basket. _Is that it? Or am I thinking of don’t count your chickens before they hatch….._

“Sarah, you read?” her brother asked, breaking her from her thoughts. She peered through her scope again, scanning the stadium. There wasn’t a lot going on on the outside and she didn’t hear as much gunfire as she had earlier. 

 

“Yea. Is it over already?” she asked, frowning; if that was the case it had been too easy. 

 

“No. Lance got hit. He’s fine but I’m getting us out and I’ll swing by and get you too-”

 

“No, Stardown, she stay!” she heard Aya hiss. 

 

“I’m getting my sister, Aya.” Krisox said fiercely. This surprised her; she had never known her brother to be like that. At least, not with her.

 

A few moments later she heard the whirring of a hover bike and looked up from her scope. When her eyes found her brother approaching, she stood up, slinging the rifle over her shoulder; she figured she’d have a chance to return it to the Lost Girls later after they took care of Lance. 

 

The bike whipped the wind around her as he descended low enough for her to climb on. It was an awkward seating situation but she managed. Krisox rose up and headed towards their old home, the roofs of various buildings flashing past beneath them. 

 

A purple break in all the gleaming white and gray caught her eye. Krisox made to skirt around the Galra officer, but he had reacted too late; they were still within range of his throw. The grenade hit the bottom of the bike, causing it to flip in the air. Sarah felt herself be launched high in the air, losing all sense of direction; she couldn’t tell what was up and what was down. Everything was a blurry white mess until she hit something heavy and suddenly everything was black.


	40. Hope

Krisox and Lance tumbled onto a lower roof as the hover bike crashed onto a roof just above them. When the dust settled, Krisox realised he didn’t see his sister. 

 

“Sarah?!” he called frantically as Lance came to and pushed himself up. 

 

“What happened?” he asked, leaning against the wall of the building next to them. 

 

“Bastard hit us with a grenade.” Krisox hissed, standing up to get a better look around. He still couldn’t see where his small sister had landed. He couldn’t think why she wouldn’t have landed with them, but she was so _light_ ….

 

“Aw, shit….” Lance muttered. The Dularian spun around as the Galra officer and his handful of robots landed on the roof, having jumped across the narrow alley. Krisox gritted his teeth; he didn’t see a way out of this one. 

 

The Galra began to speak, but a gunshot rang out, cutting him off. One of his sentries fell backwards, a fresh hole in their head sparking. Before any of them had a chance to look around, another shot rang out. Krisox looked at the sentries, expecting another to fall, but to his great surprise it was the Galra officer who collapsed. Thinking quickly, he took the appropriate stance and through the remaining sentries into the alley using White Magic. 

 

“Whoa, you can do that stuff too?” Lance asked in amazement. 

 

“Yea, well, it was a family thing….” Krisox murmured, nudging the limp Galra. “Who-?”

 

“Duh.” a voice said.

 

He jumped when Sarah materialised next to him, sliding her rifle back over her shoulder. “What happened to the others?”

 

“You idiot, you gave me a heart attack.” he scolded, playfully punching her arm. In truth, he was so relieved she was okay he wanted to hug her tightly. But that would raise questions from her he didn’t feel like answering. 

 

“He did that magic shit!” Lance said enthusiastically. 

 

“Magic shit? _White_ magic?” Sarah asked surprised. 

 

“Yea, our parents taught me, too. Or did you forget?” 

 

“I didn’t think…I just….whatever.” she grumbled, staring at the deceased Galra. 

 

Krisox knew that look. Her eyes were unfocused and wide; while she was physically present, mentally she was miles away, lost in thought. It didn’t take a xeno-neuroscientist to figure what was on her mind. “Hey,” he started softly, gently grabbing her by the shoulders so she’d turn her attention to him. “You did good. Okay? We likely wouldn’t be here if you hadn’t taken the shot.” She winced, her gaze sinking to the ground. Krisox sighed. He didn’t really know what to do or say; Kayla was always the one with the right words. “Let’s…let’s get back to the Deep Slums, yea?”

 

* * *

A few hours after they had made it back, Aya and Flayga returned with a few others and approached the three. Aya was clearly furious, but was keeping a cool head with Flayga’s help. After she dismissed the others, she crossed her arms over her plated chest and glared at Krisox. 

 

“You could have endangered many.” she growled. 

 

“Well, it looks like everything turned out okay.” he replied airily. “Or am I mistaken and the great and selfless Aya leave her forces to suffer?” He smirked when she scowled. 

 

“It over now. Galra gone or round up.” 

 

“What do you mean it’s over? There’s the rest of the planet we have to worry about.” Sarah interjected, frowning in confusion. She looked from Flayga to Aya to Krisox as the latter caught her eye and shook his head, smiling mischievously. 

 

“This was a planet-wide coordinated attack. The Deep Slums span most of the planet and they’re divided up just like the surface dwellings. Aya took your idea and hammered it out into a solid plan with the rest of the Slum leaders.” he explained. 

 

“Whoa.” she whispered, her eyes wider than ever, if that was possible. 

 

“Congratulations, sister dear! You aided a planet wide coup.”

 

“But like…won’t the Galra just send reinforcements to take it back?”

 

“Not if they never find out.” he replied with a wink. 

 

“We reprogram bots, so they work for us.” Flayga said, hands on their hips. “Galra call, bots answer, they no suspect.” 

 

“Whoa that’s genius.” Sarah giggled. After a second her eyes lit up. “Can I have one? And are there any of those droids?” 

 

Aya looked to Krisox, who shrugged; he had no idea what she wanted them for. 

 

“I don’t see why the fuck not, eh, Aya?” he asked, grinning. 

  
 Aya rolled her eyes. “Yes, Little Witch, you may have what you ask.” She and Flayga walked away, talking quietly amongst themselves, as Sarah clapped giddily. 

* * *

“Okay, I can maybe understand the robot and the two droids, but the food synthesizer?” Krisox asked, exasperated, as Sarah heaved the machine, which was about the size of a human microwave, into his now crowded ship. 

 

“One of the droids is a gift for Pidgey. Rover 2.0 or whatever they feel like naming it.” she said, pushing the food appliance into a cubby. “The food synthesizer is for Legman. He can program it to make whatever food he wants, however he wants.” She straightened up, placing her hands on her tiny hips. “They’ve taken such great care of Darling, I figured I’d get them presents.” 

 

“Whatever.” he sighed. 

 

“Man, this was a great adventure. We’re like the Three musketeers!” Lance said, lounging in the copilot seat.   
Krisox caught a glimpse of Sarah rolling her eyes, but she smiled. “Hey, Krisox, we never did find….whatever it was you were looking for.”

 

“Oh yea….” Sarah said, as she shuffled things around in his storage compartments to make room for the droids. “Are we just giving up on that or-” The two males looked up when she cut herself off, staring deep into one of the higher compartments. She reached inside, her entire arm disappearing as she fought against her short stature to reach whatever it was she had found. She rose as high up on her tip toes as she could, her tongue jutting out from the corner of her mouth. After a moment of her being absolutely adorable, she pulled out a small box. “Is this it?” she asked, a slight smirk playing on her lips. 

 

Krisox looked inside the box; there were his precious, mint condition action figurines. “Son of a _BITCH_!”


	41. Back Home

When they landed back in one of the castle’s hangers, Sarah was the first one out of Krisox’s small craft. She ran up to Shiro and flung herself at him; he caught her and spun her around once before bringing them to a stop and kissing her passionately. 

 

“You said you’d keep in contact.” he accused, resting his forehead against hers. He sounded more relieved than mad, and that made Sarah relax. 

 

“I know, I totally meant to. We kind of got involved in a rebellion, and this one person threatened to break my phone.” she said, pouting at the end. Shiro laughed, stroking her cheek, and she felt warm, fuzzy feelings swell inside her. “Oh, before I forget,” she began as Hunk, Allura, and Pidge joined them. “Lance, can you get the food synthesizer?” Sarah asked as returned to Krisox’s ship. 

 

“Uh, yea.” He seemed slightly uneasy, and she supposed it was because he had stowed away. She made a mental note to tell Shiro and Allura that he had been exceedingly well-behaved while on Stiea K2. She pulled out one of the droids and ran back to the group, with Lance heaving the appliance behind her. 

 

“Okay, so as thanks for you guys taking such great care of Darling, I got a droid for Pidgey to play with and a food synthesizer for Hunk!” Sarah passed the droid over to Pidge as Hunk inspected the appliance. “You can program it to make virtually any meal or food or-anything!” she said excitedly as her friends ooh’d and aah’d over their gifts. 

 

Out of the corner of her eye she saw Shiro and Allura reprimanding Lance. As awkward as she found those situations, she needed to let them know that he’d done well, despite the initial infraction. 

 

“….and I hope you remember this the next time you feel the urge to do something foolhardy to prove yourself.” Allura said sternly. 

 

“Hey, don’t be super hard. He did really well.” Sarah said, joining their little group. “He did as I said, didn’t make too much ruckus….I was really impressed.” she said brightly. 

 

“Still,” Shiro began, in total Dad Mode. “He shouldn’t have stowed away in the first place.” 

 

“I know. And he does, too. Right, Space Son?” she asked teasingly. 

 

Lance smiled appreciatively, and opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by Krisox. 

 

“Hey, you want the other droid and the bot or are those my toys, now?” 

 

Sarah scowled. “Of course I want them.”

 

“Then get them out of my ship, I have an organisation to run.”

* * *

“They taught you how to use a sniper rifle.” Shiro stated in disbelief a few hours later, after Sarah had recounted the adventure. 

 

“Well….yea….” she shrugged. She didn’t really know why Aya had insisted on her learning that particular weapon, or even any weapon at all, but what was done was done. “Aya like vaguely explained why but….” she trailed off. 

 

Shiro seemed to become lost in thought, kissing the top of her head as he stared off at nothing in particular. 

 

“So, they really took back the planet?” Allura asked from the couch opposite them. She was leaning forward, her elbows resting on her knees. “That’s incredible! That could really help our efforts.” 

 

Sarah blinked; that hadn’t even occurred to her. “Oh yeah….They’ll probably want to stabilise things before joining outright war….”

 

“Of course, but I meant for other planets under Galra rule. If word spreads to other civilisations….it could give them the hope they need to push back. Because Stiea K2 did it completely without Voltron.” 

 

“Oh, that is a good point.” Sarah said thoughtfully. “Though I hope it doesn’t spread so much that the Galra learn what’s up.” 

 

“That’s really clever of them.” Shiro said, coming back to the present. 

 

“I shouldn’t be surprised, Stiea K2 was like full of scientists and engineers and intellectuals. It seems obvious in hindsight that the Deep Slums would consist of absurdly smart people, too.” Her thoughts drifted to her sister, who had some difficulty adjusting to the culture. She wasn’t smart in the obvious, traditional intellectual way; her genius resided in emotions and generosity and how to take care of one’s body. Krisox shared that with Kayla, in a way; he hadn’t exhibited skill in the sciences, maths, literature, or the arts. His particular brand of intelligence didn’t come to light until he had left the family and somehow united over a dozen criminal gangs under one banner. 

 

“Hey, what are you thinking?” Shiro asked softly; she must have zoned out. Sarah spent so much time in her head she hardly noticed. 

 

“Just…..” she frowned, trying to find the right words. “It was kind of weird….he seemed to care….?” Sarah trailed off lamely, but Shiro nodded, understanding. 

 

“I’m sure he always has on some level. You always get in a bad mood around him, maybe you don’t notice….?”

 

“What does he do that makes you irritable?” Allura interjected, curious. “Teasing and….crime boss aside….”

 

Sarah bit her lip. She had spent years trying to understand this very thing, and she thought she was close to an answer. “I think…maybe….and I’m not one hundred percent sure on this….I think maybe cause as a kid…..Kayla’s always been instantly lovable. I was quiet and kept to myself and just didn’t interact much. But I think on some level it upset me that he didn’t like….like me like he did Kayla.” She leaned her head against Shiro’s shoulder as his arm around her waist pulled her closer to him.

 

Allura smiled gently. “That sounds perfectly valid to me. Have you considered talking to him about it?” 

 

Sarah shook her head. “I’m still like…reflecting on it. This is a fairly recent development.”

 

“I think it’d be good for both of you to work it out.” 

 

The small human nodded, her thoughts drifting again. “Oh! He did magic, white magic.” 

 

“He can do that too?” Shiro asked, surprised. 

 

“Yea it was a family tradition sort of thing…we were all taught the basics. I just never knew he pursued it beyond that.”

 

“Can’t hurt to have another White Witch, can it?” Allura prompted.

 

Sarah shrugged. “I suppose not.”


	42. Unwelcome Discovery

“Okay, so we reverse engineered our bayards, to figure out how they work.” Pidge said excitedly, Hunk by their side almost bouncing in giddiness, hiding something behind him. “And we thought it’d be a good idea to see if we could make one. Help us understand Altean technology and such.”

 

“And as thanks for your awesome gifts…” Hunk said, bringing his hands around so Sarah could see the pink device he was holding. “We thought we’d try and make _you_ a bayard and we did, we were successful!”

 

Sarah gasped. “You guys!! You didn’t have to do that!” She gently took it from his open hands, staring at it in awe as she turned it over in her hands. “It’s so pretty!” she squealed, jumping up and down. She jumped at Pidge and Hunk, pulling both them into a hug. 

 

“We weren’t really sure what weapon to give you, but we went with a sniper rifle since you learned that on Stiea K2.” Pidge said after she released them, adjusting their glasses. “Give it a try!” 

 

“Alrighty…” Sarah said smiling. Her eyes widened in delight as she watched it transform in her hands. The resulting [rifle](http://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=http%3A%2F%2Fbetasector.deviantart.com%2Fart%2FTitus-Sniper-299297000&t=NDkzMmQ0NTI5NGY0OTQ3NDMxMTkwNzc4Y2RmMDMzOTU3ZTJhMTdlOSx5czUwV3ZsWg%3D%3D&b=t%3AUp-8vRCgTYJDx5VxPdiFaA&m=0) required two hands but was surprisingly light. It had pink and purple accents and what looked like an LED screen for the scope. “ _THIS IS SO COOL!_ ” 

 

“What’s cool?” Shiro asked, entering the hanger. He came to a startled stop when she spun around, modeling her new bayard. 

 

“Pidge and Hunk made this for me!!!” she giggled as it returned to its former shape through light and sparkles. “Oh my god it is so _me_.”

 

Shiro shook his head, but couldn’t hide his grin. She was adorably lethal in more than one way now. 

* * *

They landed on a mostly uninhabited planet to stretch their legs and do a few training drills. Sarah took the opportunity to practise with her bayard. Having the screen to look at for the scope helped her immensely; she had to have her glasses on at all hours because otherwise the world looked like a really blurry Monet painting. 

 

While Coran drilled the Paladins, Sarah and Allura sat on a low, rocky outcropping, Allura picking out targets with her binoculars and Sarah trying to hit them dead on. It took some time to get used to the weapon, as it was lighter and more streamlined than the one Flayga had given her to use. In between target suggestions, Allura asked Sarah about Stiea K2, finding the planet and its courageous inhabitants fascinating. 

 

The two lost track of time, only realising such when Coran contacted them over their comms. “Whoops.” Allura laughed, rising to her feet. 

 

“The sky getting dark probably should have tipped us off.” Sarah giggled, her bayard transforming into its handle form. Standing up, she dusted some dirt off her skirt, and the two began walking back to the castle. Sarah entertained Allura by sharing in greater detail the end of her brother’s mission. 

 

“It was in his ship _the whole time_?” the Altean asked through chuckles. “That’s hilarious. Probably don’t tell Shiro though, he might kill him.” 

 

“Yea that’s why I kind of glossed over it earlier.” Sarah said, smirking. “No point in-”

 

A loud boom and the streak of falling light announced the arrival of a Galra vessel. It crashed to the ground just beyond a low mountain range, throwing up a large cloud of dust. 

 

“Oh no, not another one….” Allura murmured, worry creasing her features. The girls ran the rest of the way to the castle. The Paladins had formed Voltron by the time the two made it to the control room. “Do we have a visual on it?” Allura asked Coran. 

 

“Yes, Princess.” he said, pulling up a live feed of the Galra monster. To Sarah it looked like a cyborg Cthulhu. 

 

“How do they keep finding us?” Allura muttered. “Coran, make a note, we need to scan the ship and the lions for any kind of tracking device. Maybe Sendak hid one when he took over.”  

 

Sarah bit her lip, fidgeting as Voltron engaged the huge beast. She didn’t like watching these battles, as her anxiety increased anytime the god-like robot took a hit. “Allura I….I think I could start scanning the castle from Darling.” 

 

The Princess opened her mouth to speak but when she saw how nervous the small human was she simply nodded. 

 

If she didn’t see it she could fall back on her faith that all would turn out okay. Though some would say Sarah’s idealistic, optimistic nature had no place in war-time, she refused to waver; she had been on the other side of the tracks. She wasn’t going back. 

 

Darling’s computer booted up when she sat in her chair, and after some browsing she found the ship’s surveillance channel and connected to it. She didn’t actually know if she could scan the ship for much of anything, but it was better than watching the battle. It didn’t help that she could feel the ground shake every time one of the giants took a blow. 

 

She pulled up one of the search algorithms Pidge had created and input the appropriate terms. As it went through the castle’s database, she checked Darling’s software to see if she just so happened to have anything that tracked outgoing signals. She did, and after running that program, she scowled; of course it had hundreds of results, she was sending outgoing signals virtually every minute. Sarah explored the program and managed to find a few parameters she could alter to narrow down the search. There were still a couple hundred results, but she could tell which were from the control room and altered the parameters once more to exclude those. 

 

The results confused her; there were just over a hundred, but their frequency was erratic, all of them seemed garbled, and their point of origin was different for every entry. “What the hell….” she murmured, furrowing her brow. 

 

A flash of light from another open window caught her attention; she brought the window to the front. The database search had also gone through the feeds from the Paladin’s helmets; for some reason one of the results it brought up was the first time Shiro used his Galra hand in combat. Half a second later, Sarah gasped. “No…” she whispered in horror. 


	43. Our Advantage

Sarah didn’t notice just how much time had passed. She was so engrossed in her task that everything else was subtle background noise that she didn’t pay attention to. She was a little over halfway through matching the strange signals with seemingly sudden Galra attacks. It wasn’t easy, and sifting through the massive amount of data was straining her eyes. She didn’t notice that, either. 

 

She jumped when someone knocked on Darling’s open hatch. “Hey, sorry.” Shiro said, removing his helmet. “Didn’t mean to startle you. What’re you working on?” He moved to stand behind her chair, leaning on its back. 

 

“Oh, uh…” she blinked, trying to move herself from one state of mind to another; she had been so wrapped up in her own head, she needed a small moment to bring herself out. “I scanned for outgoing signals within the past year, cause Allura thought maybe Sendak slipped a tracker onto the castle when he took over. I had to majorly adjust the parameters to filter out all of my, um shit.” she finished somewhat lamely, gesturing to her phone. 

 

“Hadn’t thought about that.”  he nodded. “Did you find anything after that?” 

 

“I had to filter out the castle’s stuff too, and yea, after I did that I found this really weird signal. It’s so erratic and garbled, I can’t figure it out. We have the dates at least, and I’m trying to match that with the castle’s surveillance database. See if any of the more random attacks happened in the same time-frame.”

 

“That sounds like quite the arduous task.” he commented, raising an eyebrow. 

 

“Yea…” Sarah sighed. “I’m only about halfway through. Oh,” She sat up and turned to face him. “How’d it go? The um….” Sarah waved in the direction of where the monster crashed. “the Cthulhu looking motherfucker.”

 

“We defeated it easily enough.” Shiro said, laughing. “I think we’re about to take off, Allura doesn’t want to hang around for too long.” Sure enough, they felt the ship rumble as its rockets roared to life. “Do you want any help? I can see if Pidge is free.” he offered. 

 

“I could use Pidgey, yea. They might be able to do this more efficiently.” 

 

Shiro chuckled and kissed the top of her head. “I’ll go find them then.”

 

“Oh yea, I think I can get something up and working for you.” Pidge said a few moments later. 

 

“That would be a massive help.” Sarah groaned, leaning back in her chair and stretching. 

 

“Okay well you two have fun, I’m gonna see if Keith’s up for a sparring session.” Shiro said, waving as he disembarked. 

 

Sarah waited a few moments, Pidge’s rapid typing on their laptop filling the air, before speaking. “Pidgey, you left your helmet in your lion or something, right?”

 

“Yea….?” Pidge asked, confused. Their eyes widened when they looked up and saw Sarah’s intense expression. “What’s up?” 

 

“This does not leave here.” she whispered. “I don’t know if I’m right and I’d rather not cause a panic if there isn’t one.” Pidge stopped typing, closing their laptop; the small Paladin gave the small human their full attention. “I was matching up the signals and….do you think….is it possible there might be a tracking device in Shiro’s Galra arm?” 

 

Pidge’s eyes grew wide. “Oh my god….I mean anything’s possible.” 

 

Sarah nodded grimly. “Could you make something could scan for it? But in a non-suspicious way.” 

 

“I think so…Let me finish this and then give me a day.” they said, reopening their laptop. “If that isn’t it….” Sarah nodded. “What….what do we do if that _is_ it?” Pidge asked after a long silence. 

 

Sarah furrowed her brow, thinking. Shiro would want it removed or disabled, even it meant disabling his arm completely. “First off we see if there’s a way to remove it or turn it off or something.”

 

“And second off?”

 

“We use it to _our_ advantage.”


	44. Repurpose

“Okay, Sarah, I’m done.” Pidge said, walking up Darling’s hatch ramp. 

 

“Alright one sec,” the small human said, turning back to her computer. “I have to go now, Mousey, but you can drop a line whenever, okay?” The alien with large mouse ears nodded; they were taking up a quarter of Sarah’s computer screen for the video call the small human had initiated. “Tell the others I said hi!” Mousey assured they would before signing off. 

 

Before Kirisox had randomly dropped in, the Voltron crew had asked the three aliens from the arena what they wanted to do next. Allura informed them there was plenty of room, but they were likely to be in danger more often than not. Jesaya mentioned she had family on a safe planet that would have no problem providing all three of them shelter. Kintak suggested they could spread word of Voltron and the team’s deeds through various channels; they thought the hope the tales provided would rally more to their cause. And so the three had gone to live with Jesaya’s family, and they kept in touch every so often through video calls and instant messaging systems. 

 

Sarah turned off her screen and spun around in her chair to face Pidge. The small Paladin had a strange contraption with a long, odd antenna in their hand. “It’ll detect a tracker no matter how tiny it might be?” Sarah asked, just wanting to make sure; they didn’t have much knowledge on Galra tech and this concerned her. 

 

“Yep. If there’s one there.” 

 

“Alright….let’s try it out then, shall we?”

 

* * *

Of course Shiro was a little suspicious when the two small humans asked to scan his arm with the weird contraption Pidge had made with Hunk’s help. But Sarah was good at thinking on her feet. She said they were trying to understand Galra tech a bit better, which wasn’t a full lie; she fully meant what she said, but what they were doing was completely different. 

 

She couldn’t make head or tail out of the readings Pidge was staring intently at as the waved the device around his arm. Before she knew it, the small Paladin had declared it done and ran off to download and interpret the data. 

 

“Pidgey, wait!” she said huffily. “That’s annoying. Thanks, love.” She stood on her tip toes to peck Shiro’s cheek before running after Pidge.  

 

“Pidgey, what’s the verdict?” she asked when she caught up to the Paladin; they were unloading the data onto Darling’s computer. 

 

“We’ll know here in a sec….” they murmured, their hands deftly flying over the keyboard. “Ah, crap…” they muttered, grimacing. 

 

“There’s a tracker, isn’t there?” 

 

“Unfortunately, yes. But it looks like its been damaged, that might explain why its so erratic.” Pidge looked to Sarah for their next course of action. 

 

She bit her lip. “Do you think you could get to it? Or like…..” she trailed off kind of waving her hands as she tried to find the appropriate words. “It’d be nice if we were in control of it. We could send out signals only when we wanted them sent out.”

 

Pidge frowned. “What do yo-ooohhhh.” they said as their eyes widened, Sarah’s implication becoming clear to them at last. 

 

She nodded, smiling slightly. “But first things first…we need to tell him.” She grimaced at the very thought; he’d feel so guilty. 

 

“Let’s do it together, cause then i can bring up trying to remove it and maybe reprogram it.” Pidge said, nodding reassuringly. Sarah sighed, and led the way out. 

* * *

As expected, Shiro took the news hard. Sarah held him tightly, telling him over and over that it wasn’t his fault, this was something completely out of his control. He buried his face in her shoulder, but she got the feeling it’d take a long time to convince him of his innocence in the situation. When Pidge mentioned they could see about removing it, but his face fell into confusion when they got to the bit about reprogramming it. 

 

“Reprogram-? Why? Why not just get rid of it?” he asked, pulling away slightly so he could look at Pidge. When they pointed to Sarah, his gaze turned to her; she bit her lip, nervous. “What are you planning?”

 

“Well…..and please don’t hate me….but um….I thought, if we could get it under our control….we could use it to our advantage. Set traps and such.” she said hesitantly. She watched as his expression become thoughtful. 

 

“That’s an idea….” he murmured, holding up his Galra arm and staring at it. Sarah looked to Pidge, who was cautiously excited. The tide was really turning in their favour in this war.


	45. Catch the Prey

While Shiro informed the rest of the team about the tracker hidden in his arm and Pidge described it’s current state and how they were going to try and reprogram it, Sarah hard at work planning a trap for whatever Galra would investigate the signal. Pidge hadn’t outright said whether or not they could fiddle with the Galra device, but Sarah had so much faith in the small Paladin’s abilities she was already planning several steps ahead. She couldn’t really help it; if she didn’t have everything or almost everything figured out, she’d stay awake all night worrying about minor details. 

 

By the time Pidge managed to extract and then reprogram the tracker, a week had passed and Sarah had four different plans laid out, along with a few alternatives in case they caught a bigger fish than they had intended. 

 

“Got it!” Pidge declared one afternoon. Or evening. It was hard to tell in space. “We can control its signal with this small remote. I can’t say how long it would take the signal to reach…whosoever has been monitoring it so far.” 

 

“Nice! Yea, I figure we’d learn that with the first trap we set up. I designed one to account for that, it involves basically camping out for a while until something or someone shows up. Oh, that reminds me, Pidgey, I was wondering if I could request a small modification to my bayard?” Sarah could tell Pidge didn’t follow her train of thought, but nodded anyway. 

 

“Yea, sure. What is it?” 

* * *

They landed the castle in the middle of a valley who’s sides dwarfed the ship. Everything was covered in thick green flora; it was perfect. Pidge, Sarah, and Shiro camped out in a clearing in sight of the castle. If one of Haggar’s monster’s showed up, Sarah would transport the three of them to the castle to deploy the lions. If a Galra force showed up, Shiro would remain in the clearing as bait while Sarah would get on top of the forest’s canopy to stun the Galra officers and Pidge hid amongst the brush on the forest floor. 

 

Sarah had asked if Pidge could allow her rifle to stun on occasions instead of kill, and they delivered in not time flat. It was similar in a way to their bayard, except the electric shocks were more potent and could render someone unconscious for a good five to ten minutes (they had tested it on Lance when he was being particularly mouthy. And then Keith when he laughed at Lance.). 

 

After a few days of having the tracker openly broadcast, Allura notified them over comms that a Galra warship was entering the atmosphere. The three in the clearing watched it land before getting into their agreed upon positions. Sarah didn’t like leaving Shiro alone and virtually vulnerable, but they had unanimously decided to put the plan into action, and it was a smart, strategic move. Or at least she thought it was. She reassured herself that he was more than capable of taking care of himself, and he wasn’t completely alone; the entire team was connected via comms. 

 

“Pidge do you have them on infrared yet?” Allura asked. 

 

“Yep. They’re coming into view now. Hey that looks kind of like….” they trailed off, but before Sarah could ask, Shiro answered. 

 

“Sendak.” he hissed. 

 

Sarah peered through her rifle’s scope, and sure enough, there was the Galra officer’s overly large prosthetic. “Ugh…” she groaned, remembering their last encounter. “Anyone else with him?” she asked, unable to see through the trees and brush. 

 

“No, it looks like it’s just him.” Pidge replied. 

 

“That’s highly suspicious.” Allura said, her voice uneasy. “Maybe we should pull out….”

 

“Shiro, your call.” Sarah said, keeping an eagle eye on the clearing he was in. 

 

“We waited this long, let’s see if we can bag him.” 

 

“Hello, Paladin.” Sendak growled, the barest hint of a smirk in his tone. “All alone? Where’s your little pet?” 

 

Sarah scoffed. “Asshole…” she murmured, targeting through her scope. She fired and the stunning bolt hit him dead on the face. 

 

“She says hi.” Shiro chuckled as Sendak fell over, convulsing. 

 

Not two seconds after the Galra went still, two druids appeared out of nowhere, flanking him. 

 

“Aw, shit.” Sarah grimaced, transporting herself to Shiro’s side in a wisp of light gray smoke. “That explains why he looked alone.” Her bayard transformed into a handle and then disappeared to her belt (they were curious devices). “Pain in my ass.” she grumbled, as a white shining orb formed in her palm. 

 

They druids made their own, purple and black and evil, turning them into purple beams while Sarah’s became a glowing shield, cause the streaks of pure energy to rebound, throwing up dirt and destroying trees around the druids themselves. Sarah pushed forward, turning the shield into a pulse that knocked them off their feet. While Sarah had their attention fixed on her, Shiro slipped into the trees and ran around behind them, intending to inflict damage himself. But one of the druids turned at the last moment, their claws sparking with black and purple electricity; they caught him  in his side, knocking him to the ground. 

 

Sarah gasped sharply, angrily; the air around her began to pulse and glow and suddenly she was in front of the druid. Before it had time to react, she was holding its mask, pure quintessence building up around the hand. “You don’t touch him _ever_.” she growled. Suddenly her hand shone like a star, and when it faded all that was left was the mask, cloak, and ash. 

 

The other druid fled. Sarah scowled as she tossed the mask away before kneeling next to Shiro. “Are you okay?” 

 

“I’ll be fine.” he panted, wincing as he rose to his knees. “What was that?” 

 

“Oh uh….” she looked to the pile of ash blowing away in the slight breeze. “I was….angry….” she murmured. She wasn’t completely sure what she had done or how she had done it, but that wasn’t important to her right now. Shiro was hurt; that was the only thing on her mind. 

* * *

A few days later, Shiro was good as new and Sendak was in a pod, again, so they could try and extract his memories, again. Sarah thought she could expedite the process through quintessence manipulation. 

 

When she asked Niruth about how she destroyed the druid, and how to best extract Sendak’s memories, her dragon mentor seemed shocked. These techniques were very advanced, far beyond where she thought Sarah was. When she questioned her small pupil about the druid, she found the girl could really only shrug and state that she had been furious in the moment. She studied Sarah for a long while, impassive, before insisting on extracting Sendak’s memories herself. 

 

“Can you do that from here?” Sarah asked, confused. “I thought you’d be out of range.” 

 

“ _Oh I am never out of range of anyone or anything. I simply limit myself so as to conserve energy. I will bring the Galra’s memories to you._ ” 

 

“Oh, alrighty!” Sarah said brightly. “I’ll go tell the others.” As she left, she got the feeling Niruth was watching her closely, with a mixture of concern and curiosity. For some reason, it made her feel uneasy.


	46. Worry

“She’s still Sarah, Shiro.” Allura said comfortingly. “The time was bound to come when she’d have to take a life. This is war. But she’s still Sarah.”

 

Shiro sighed, resting his head in his hands. “I know. I just….I don’t know. I thought if I could keep her out of actual combat, maybe she wouldn’t have to, maybe the war wouldn’t affect her that way.” 

 

“Have you had a chance to talk to her about…Stiea K2?”

 

“No, we’ve all been so busy since then, we haven’t had time to really sit down and talk about much of anything. She didn’t seem very….upset or anything. And with the druid, she kind of just shrugged it off.” He pulled his head up and rested his chin on his entwined fingers. “I don’t which is bothering me more, her being negatively affected by what war requires, or her not being affected at all.”

 

“I really think you two should make time. It could very well be weighing heavily on her mind, too. She’s just so used to keeping things to herself….You’ve said it yourself before, she’s hard to read. There’s really no point speculating.” 

 

Shiro smiled slightly. “You’re right there….”

* * *

After grabbing her bear and her blanket out of the room she and Shiro shared, Sarah ran to Darling. She hadn’t caught all of Shiro and Allura’s conversation, but it was enough to confirm something she had been fighting since she left Stiea K2: the war against the Galra empire was changing her for the worse. She had managed to convince herself that she had done the right thing in killing the Galra officer, if only just barely. Sarah still wasn’t sure what had happened with the druid. She had somehow been able to distract herself for the past few days, but she couldn’t anymore. 

 

When she reached her ship, she closed the hatch and then curled up on the small pull-out bed. She had started crying at some point, but didn’t bother trying to stem the flow of tears. 

 

All she wanted to do was sleep forever, but she couldn’t escape the thoughts declaring her a monster forged by war. Sarah held her bear tight against her chest as soft sobs began to rock her body. She didn’t blame Shiro for going to Allura for counsel on this matter; he was probably afraid of what she might do if he made her angry. The memory of the druid replayed in her mind and she squeezed her eyes shut, trying to think of something that made her happy. Usually, that would be Shiro, but now her fiance made her replay what she had overheard and caused her to sob even harder. 

* * *

Shiro knew something was wrong when he found Sarah’s sentimental items missing from their bed. He immediately ran to Darling, slightly surprised to see the ship’s hatch closed. She didn’t respond when he knocked, but he knew she was in there. He didn’t know how to open Darling from the outside, he wasn’t even sure if you could, so he waited outside. He figured she would have to leave her ship at some point and he’d be able to ask her what was wrong. But hours passed and she still didn’t emerge. A few times he thought he could hear muffled crying and was desperate to hold her and comfort her. 

 

It didn’t take long for the others to figure out something was wrong. Pidge and Allura offered to take turns staying by his side, so he could sleep or get something to eat. He never did. Two days went by and he was almost beside himself with worry; as far as he knew Sarah hadn’t stashed food in her ship in months. Allura encouraged him to eat and sleep, and Hunk even brought food to them, but he couldn’t. A tense, anxious knot had formed in his gut, and he knew the only way to soothe it was to hold Sarah in his arms. 

 

At the end of the second day, Allura announced that Krisox was boarding. She seemed flustered and put off, but they didn’t have much to process anything because as soon as Krisox disembarked he stormed over to Shiro punched him hard, sending the Paladin to his hands and knees. 

 

“Shiro-hey!” Allura yelled at the orange alien. “Just what do you think you’re doing?!” 

 

“You wanna tell me what you did, huh? Why my sister is crying?” Krisox asked viciously. 

 

“How…how’d you-” Shiro began rubbing his still stinging cheek. 

 

“She’s been trying to reach Kayla through quintessence, but she’s been getting weaker every day. You wanna tell me what exactly you said that made Sarah feel like a monster?” Krisox was pacing now, fuming. “A monster forged by war?”

 

Shiro’s face fell. “That’s what she’s been….” he trailed off, staring longingly at Sarah’s ship. 

 

“Oh no, Shiro, I think she might have heard us.” Allura said, horror-stricken. 

 

“Heard what?” Krisox demanded, turning on her. 

 

“W-well Shiro was just concerned….what effect the war might have on her….but not like that, he didn’t mean it like that at all…..” Allura said nervously, taking a step back. 

 

Krisox glared between the two of them before walking up to Darling’s hatch. He fiddled with a panel and the ship’s hatch opened as a result. 

 

“How’d you do that?” Shiro asked, shocked. 

 

“Who do you think did the modifications for her?” the Dularian smirked, before entering. 

 

Shiro pushed himself to his feet and followed.


	47. Counsel

The sound of Darling’s hatch opening woke her from a dreamless sleep. She was curious to see who it was, but didn’t feel like rolling over. His voice answered her question anyway. She frowned to herself. _What the hell is Krisox doing here?_ she wondered dully. 

 

“Maybe you should wait outside.” her brother hissed to someone else. 

 

“I….I just want to see if she’s okay.” Shiro said in a small voice. 

 

“Well, obviously she’s not, so there’s your answer.” She heard a slight squeak as her brother sat in her computer chair and spun to face her. “Hey, Little Bit?” Krisox said softly, using her childhood nickname, as he gently shook her shoulder. “I know you’re awake.” 

 

She sighed, but still didn’t roll over; she wasn’t in any mood to face people. “You shouldn’t be so mean.” she said quietly. “It’s not Shiro’s fault.”

 

“The hell it isn’t!”

 

“It’s not…” she whimpered.

 

“No, it is.” Shiro interjected sadly. She felt him sit on the end of her pull-out bed. “I shouldn’t have talked to Allura, I should have sat down with you. I just…I don’t know….I don’t have an excuse.” He took a heavy, shaky breath before continuing. “I don’t think you’re a monster. You _aren’t_. I’d hoped I could save you from the darker aspects of this war, but I know now it was futile and I’m so sorry….” his voice began to quiver as he trailed off and she felt like she might start crying again. 

 

“Okay, that’s a start, I’m still a skeptic, but whatever.” Krisox said bluntly. “Sarah, you wanna tell us why you holed yourself up?”

 

She frowned, but after a moment understood what he was getting at. Sighing, she sat up, wrapping her arms around her knees, squeezing the bear, before timidly looking between the two. Shiro’s eyes glistened and he looked so deflated….

 

“I….was scared that maybe I was turning into something….dangerous….I’m still not fully convinced I did the right thing….I reacted on instinct, I…..and with the druid I don’t even know what happened and it scares me….” Her voice grew shaky as she trailed off into a barely audible whisper before falling silent. 

 

“Little Bit, I told you, if you hadn’t, Lance and I would be dead, or worse. And I’m sure that druid would have killed Shiro if you didn’t act. Those were people who were acting of their own volition with the intent to kill.” Krisox gave her a small, encouraging smile when she looked at him owlishly. “If anyone is a monster on this ship it’s me, and hey!” He raised his hand to quiet her before she could protest. “I keep things PG for your sake, but I know what I am and I’ve come to terms with it. But _you_ are a ray of goddamn sunshine, okay?” 

 

Sarah bit her lip before nodding and smiling slightly. She didn’t like that he thought of himself as such, but had a feeling she wouldn’t be able to change his mind. She mentally balked at the thought of what he might have done. She turned to Shiro, reaching out a hand. “I’m sorry I….next time I’ll just…we’ll talk things out.” she giggled, nervously. He smiled warmly, the tears that had built up spilling out as his eyes crinkled. He took her hand and she gently tugged him towards her. He obliged, scooping her up into a tight hug. She let her bear fall to the side, wrapping her arms around his neck. 

 

When they began kissing, Krisox groaned. “Ugh, okay if you’re gonna do that I’m gonna not be here anymore. Hey, this castle got spare rooms?” he asked, standing up. 

 

Sarah broke away from her fiance, staring at her brother with a raised eyebrow. “Why….”

 

“I think I’ll stick around a little bit. At least until I’m satisfied with that one.” He pointed at Shiro before leaving. “I’ll check for accommodations with the princess, you two go back to the hanky panky or whatever Sarah calls it these days.” He laughed as the two turned beet red.


	48. Change of Plans

“Okay, so just hold your fingers out like so….” Sarah said, her pointer fingers extended, elbows resting on her knees as she sat cross-legged across from Shiro. “Yea, and then I hit one…” She tapped his finger with her own. “so now that hand has two. Get it?”

 

“Yea I think so. If I hit your hand with this one, you then have three?” he asked, tapping one her extended fingers with his two.  

 

“Yes, exactly.” she said happily, bringing her middle and ring finger to join her pointer. 

 

“But wait, I’m at a disadvantage!”

 

“What do you mean?” 

 

“You hit my two with your three and then I’m down to one hand!”

 

Sarah tapped his nose. “That’s why I like going first.” she giggled mischievously. 

 

Shiro gasped playfully. “You little sneak!” He reached over and pulled her into his lap, lightly tickling her. 

 

“Shirooo, stooop-!” Sarah said between laughs. 

 

“Oh my god will you two just get a room?” Krisox said irritably from the opposite side of the couch. 

 

“There are other lounges.” Sarah said as she stuck her tongue out at her brother. 

 

“Yea, but I’m already sitting here and you know how I don’t like to move once I’m comfy.” 

 

Sarah sighed and rolled her eyes. “What are you watching anyway?”

 

“I’ll let you know when it comes back.” 

 

She made to reply, but an odd, distressing sensation washed over her. She felt the echos of pain, fear, hopelessness….all with a familiar twinge. 

 

“Sarah, what’s wrong?” Shiro said, his voice serious and concerned; she just noticed she had gone completely rigid. 

 

“I think….” Krisox said, his voice strained. The sensation passed and her body relaxed of its own accord. Looking over, she saw her brother leaning forward, his head resting in his hands. “I think….Haggar is…hurting Kayla.” he said, his voice cracking. 

 

Her heart froze. Of course that’s what it was. She didn’t know why it hadn’t clicked with her. Her mind felt totally blank, as if she didn’t know how to process the information. Her little sister was in pain, agonising pain, and here Sarah was playing little games with her fiance and having a good time. 

 

“Oh my god…” she whimpered, as tears sprung to her eyes. “What am I doing? I should be…I should be…..and she’s…” Sarah stood up and began pacing. She quickly became incoherent as her words became mixed with sobs. Shiro stood and pulled her into a hug. “I’m horrible, I’m a horrible sister, I’ve waited so long.” she cried, sobbing into his chest. 

 

“No, no you aren’t. You wanted an army at your back to eliminate the chance of failure.” He raised her chin to look in her eyes. “You formed a solid war strategy and were prepared to take on the entire empire within minutes of hearing she had been captured. You’re an amazing sister. Things are just taking longer than you had expected.” He gave her a reassuring smile before kissing her forehead.

 

“Okay, well you two have fun with that sentiment, I’m gonna actually go do something.” Krisox said as he made to leave the room. 

 

“Krisox, I’m coming with you.” Sarah said quickly. 

 

“The hell you are!”

 

“No, she’s right, you can’t go alone. I’ll go, too, it’ll just be the three of us.” Shiro said firmly. 

 

“Fine! Whatever!” her brother said, throwing his hands up in annoyance. “Let’s get going!” 

 

“Without a plan?” 

 

“Don’t worry, I’ll think one up on the way.” Sarah said, grabbing her fiance’s hand. “Now let’s go, I don’t want to leave her alone a moment longer.”


	49. Reunite

“Can you get a read?” Shiro asked Sarah, as they and Krisox ran through the green-lit Galra halls. 

 

“Yup. There’s a big room around this next corner, we go through it and there’s a line of cells, she’s there.” she replied, as she explored ahead of them through quintessence. “And, hang a right.” She opened her eyes as they rounded the corner. Though alarms were blaring, no Galra bot had made an appearance. This made Sarah and Shiro very uneasy. 

 

A door in front of them opened automatically, revealing a room full of palettes and large boxes. They three continued through, but came to a halt when they heard the door’s locking mechanism clang shut behind them. 

 

“Oh god dammit…” Sarah muttered as the Dark Witch materialised in front of them. 

 

“I thought you’d come for your sister….you will pay….you think you can kill one of my druids and not face consequences?” Haggar spat viciously. 

 

“Sarah, can you get to the other side of that door?” Shiro whispered, his Galra arm lighting up. 

 

“Go get Kayla.” Krisox said firmly. “We’ll deal with the witch.” 

 

Sarah bit her lip, but nodded. “Remember what I taught you.” she whispered to Shiro as she disappeared in smoke. 

 

Once on the other side of the door, she heard Haggar roar angrily, but didn’t wait to see if they were able to distract her. Just as she had seen earlier, she was in a hall with cell doors lining each side. Kayla was somewhere in this area, Sarah just had to find her signature. She ran down the hall, guiding herself through quintessence. She turned a corner into another hallway that also had prison cells and sped up; she was getting close. 

 

A few patrolling sentries caught sight of her, but she made short work of them. Sarah almost fell as she came to a skidding halt and opened her eyes. After some maneuvering she managed to pry the door open and peered in timidly. “Kayla?” she whispered, her eyes adjusting.

 

“ _Sarah?!_ ” a voice asked in shock from a corner. A figure rose and threw themselves at Sarah, who almost fell over in surprise. She hugged her sister tightly, stroking her dirty blonde hair as Kayla began whimpering. “I was so afraid no one was going to come….I thought I was gonna die here….”

 

“Shush….I wouldn’t let that happen.” Sarah squeezed Kayla before releasing her and taking her hand. “Can you run? We have to go.” 

 

“Um, yea, lead the way.” She stumbled a bit at first, her legs not used to moving so much, but Kayla was a health nut who worked out daily; the strength returned quickly. 

 

After they rounded the corner and speedily made their way along the corridor, Sarah forced the door to the storage room open from afar so it’d be open by the time they reached it. When the crossed the threshold, Sarah gasped as Krisox went flying across the room. Shiro was just getting back on his feet as Haggar surged forward, a glowing purple ball of dark energy forming in her hand. 

 

“ _NO!_ ” Sarah screamed, suddenly materialising in front of Shiro. She had a brightly glowing white orb in her hand, and as she raised it, Haggar rose in the air, paralysed and surrounded by a white shimmery mist. “I told you, witch.” she said angrily. “You aren’t gonna touch him ever again.” The ball expanded into a pulse, launching Haggar to the far corner of the room where she hit the wall and crumpled to the floor. 

 

“Sarah, was that-?” Kayla began, panting slightly as she reached them. 

 

“Yea, it is, let’s go.” Krisox grunted, taking Kayla’s hand. 

 

Sarah intended to agree, but suddenly felt the world tilt around her. She heard Kayla call her name in worry, and somebody caught her, but after that everything was a blur and she felt her conscious slip in and out. 

 

When she next came to, she was horizontal on the floor of her brother’s ship. Groaning, she pushed herself up to a sitting position. “I overdid it again, didn’t I?” she asked groggily. 

 

“I’ll say.” Kayla said in disbelief. Sarah looked around and found her sister holding her knees to her chest, watching her owlishly. She gazed around until she found Krisox and Shiro; they were in the pilot’s seats up front. “I thought you dropped that?” 

 

“It’s been useful, I took up studying again.” Sarah shrugged, turning back to her. Kayla nodded and scooted over next to her older sister, and the two wrapped their arms around each other. 

 

“Thank you…” Kayla whispered, resting her head on Sarah’s shoulder. 

 

“What are sister’s for?” Sarah said smiling, before resting her head on Kayla’s.


	50. Safe and Sound

Before introductions were made, Sarah insisted on grabbing the bag with Kayla’s blanket and plush that she had brought with her from home. The way her sister’s eyes lit up gave her a warm fuzzy feeling, and Kayla seemed to relax a bit more. The party moved to one of the lounge rooms, Kayla sitting between her siblings as the Paladins eagerly asked questions about their mission. Though she seemed nervous at first, the banter between Sarah, the Paladins, and Krisox eased her tension. 

 

“It’s really a pleasure to finally meet you.” Allura said, cutting off Pidge who was about start interrogating the rescue party again. “Sarah’s told us a lot about you.” 

 

Kayla raised an eyebrow, slightly skeptical. “Yea? What’d she say?” 

 

“Hey, I only talk bad about you when you piss me off.” Sarah teased, gently elbowing her sister. The two giggled as Krisox rolled his eyes. 

 

“Oh, hey, I’m curious.” Kayla said, turning to face her brother. “You guys are actually getting along. What happened?” 

 

“I decided to drop the ruse when that one made Sarah cry.” Krisox answered airily, gesturing towards Shiro. “Figured I’d linger a bit. Keep an eye on things.” 

 

“Hey, we worked that out, it was a misunderstanding.” Sarah said, squeezing her fiance’s hand as he tensed slightly. She knew he still felt guilty, and her brother was not helping. 

 

“Uh huh, sure.” 

 

Before Sarah could respond, Kayla yawned wearily. “Could I lay down?” 

 

“Yea, of course. There’s more than enough rooms.” Sarah said as she stood up and offered her sister her hand. 

 

She escorted Kayla to an empty room not too far from the one she and Shiro shared. After giving her a quick orientation to familiarise herself with the alien ship, Sarah knelt next to the bed as Kayla got herself comfortable. 

 

“I don’t know if I believe Krisox.” she said after a moment. 

 

“What do you mean?” Sarah asked, lost. 

 

“Well….just the way Shiro looks at you….” Kayla smiled softly at her older sister. “It’s like he sees the entire universe in you. It’s really cute.” 

 

Sarah blushed slightly, smiling. “Yea well….I see the universe in him so….that works out then.” she finished awkwardly. Kayla chuckled. “Go to sleep, goof.” Sarah said, tapping her sister’s noise, before standing up and stepping out into the hallway. 

 

Shiro was waiting for her, wrapping his arms around her middle as she wrapped hers around his neck. “My sister’s safe…” she said softly, resting her head against his chest. She felt so relieved and happy she could cry. “She’s safe….we saved her…..”

 

“Correction.” Shiro said, kissing the top of her head. She leaned back to look at him, slightly confused. “ _You_ saved her. _You_ made the plan, _you_ found where she was and sprung her, _you_ saved us from Haggar.” 

 

Sarah looked into his eyes and she felt what Kayla had described; it was like he saw all the beauty in the universe in her. Happy tears sprung to her eyes and she rose on her tip toes to kiss him, giggling blissfully as they rested their foreheads against each others. In that moment, all was right with the universe.


	51. Children

They had received a distress signal and descended upon the planet to investigate. It had once been a metropolis planet like Stiea K2, but now it as nothing but rubble and ruin. They couldn’t pinpoint the origin of the signal, so they split into three small groups and landed on the surface in the lions while Coran kept the castle at a stable orbit. 

 

Kayla and Krisox accompanied Sarah and Shiro, as both wanted to get out of the confines of the castle and there weren’t any signs of recent Galra activity. After Shiro landed the Black Lion, the four descended down her ramp. The ground was covered in dust and ash and debris. Everything was gray and desolate, and there didn’t seem to be any sign of life. 

 

“We might have to split up.” Sarah said, stretching her arms behind her. 

 

Shiro’s eyes tightened slightly, but he nodded. “Yea. We’ll cover more ground.” 

 

“But not you two.” Sarah added quickly, pointing to her siblings. 

 

“What do you mean?” Kayla asked, confused. In the month since she had been rescued, she had regained most of her muscle mass and was almost back to her old self. Only the nightmares remained as evidence of her imprisonment. 

 

“I know you can probably take care of yourself, but I’d much prefer you and Krisox stay together.” 

 

“Why not you and me?” 

 

“Cause I don’t really trust Krisox on his own.”

 

“Wha-hey!” he protested. “What kind of trouble can I get into here of all places?”

 

“I’m sure I don’t know.” Sarah said, as Shiro ran down to the far end of what had been a plaza. “Please?” She smiled when they nodded, before turning and running to the other side of the plaza. 

 

When she turned onto a wide street, Sarah closed her eyes and searched the area before her with quintessence. She couldn’t get a good look at the surroundings themselves, but she was mostly looking for any sign of life; there didn’t seem to be any. 

 

After what felt like a decade, but was likely only thirty minutes, Sarah switched her cybernetic ear piece to the comms channel, picking up Allura in mid conversation and accidentally cutting her off. 

 

“Have you guys found anyone?” she asked, sitting down on some flat slabs of crumbling stone. 

 

“Nope, I was just telling Pidge, I can’t even detect the signal anymore.” Allura answered. 

 

“Okay, well, that sounds fishy and I think we should fall back to the castle and go.” Hunk said nervously. 

 

“Hey, wait, I see something.” Sarah said, staring into a building across from her. Thought she had only caught a glimpse, it was definitely movement. Something small had been peeking at her from what used to be a window, dashing away the moment her gaze landed on them. She stood and jogged over, rising up on her tiptoes to see inside. It looked like it had once been someone’s home, but now there was no sign of life and glass littered the floor. 

 

“Hmmm.” Sarah took a few steps back, trying to find a way inside. But she didn’t need to; in the center of the rode was a gaggle of about five alien children, huddled together nervously. The tallest looked like they reached her waist (which isn’t saying much) and they stood bravely in front of the others, their vivid purple eyes watching her closely. 

 

“Hey….” she said gently, slowly approaching them. A few backed up, trembling, and she stopped, kneeling down and extending her hand. “I’m not going to hurt you.”

 

The brave one took a step forward, pausing to gesture with their four arms that the others didn’t need to be alarmed when three of them gasped loudly. Lowering their arms, they slowly approached Sarah. When they were only a few feet away, they extend one of their larger hands and took the small human’s. Sarah smiled, trying to be encouraging, though she wasn’t sure if she was succeeding. 

 

“I’m Sarah. What’s your name?” 

 

“Teiisa.” they said after a moment. 

 

One of the smallest children ran forward, almost colliding with Teiisa. Their pupil-less eyes were glued on their linked hands. “Tei-Tei.” they whimpered, clinging to Teiisa. The latter pulled their hand away to hug the former.

 

“Forgive her.” Teiisa said. “She wasn’t very old when…” They gestured around at the rubble sadly. 

 

Sarah nodded, lowering her hand. She looked to the little one. “What’s your name?” she asked gently. 

 

“Chik-Ogtana.” she said in a small voice.

 

“We call her Chi.” another child said as they approached. They had shoulder length hair sprouting from behind a prominent horn that swayed in the slight breeze. “I’m V’selle. Tei is oldest. She watch us since everything go gray.” 

 

“Aurcter.” Tei said as the last two joined them. She gestured to a small feathered creature with a face that resembled an Earth eagle. “He shy. Aukn’ec. He is Aury’s womb-mate.” Another feathered being, with lighter feathers than his brother, peeked around Tei. 

 

“It’s nice to meet you all.” Sarah said, looking at all of them in turn. “Is it just you five?” 

 

“Yes….it been one month since the purple ones came.” Tei answered sadly. 

 

“And you’ve been alone all this time?” Sarah thought she might cry when Tei nodded. “You don’t have to be anymore. I came with companions and a big ship, we can take care of you until we find your parents.” Her face fell when three of the five started crying. “What’s wrong?”

 

“Our parents no more….” Tei answered, their purple eyes falling to the ground. 

 

“Oh, I’m so sorry.” Sarah gasped. “We can give you food and shelter and safety, don’t worry.” 

 

Chi looked to Tei, a curious expression on their face. “Mani??” they squeaked. 

 

Tei looked into Sarah’s eyes for a long moment before nodding. “Mani.”

 

“Mani!” Chi cried, launching her small form at Sarah. Next thing she knew, all of the children were hugging her. 

 

“Uh, Allura, you there?” she asked, awkwardly trying to wrap her arms around all five children. 

 

“Yes?” the Princess replied. 

 

“What does ‘mani’ mean?” 

 

“It means ‘mother’.” Allura answered, amused. “Shiro, I think Sarah just made you two parents.”

 

“Oops.” Sarah murmured.

 

// [Pictures of the kids can be found at the bottom of this page. ](http://terezisexbuttpyrope.tumblr.com/post/147702561240/masterpost-of-my-shame)


	52. An Old Foe

“We were bound to adopt any stray child that crossed our path.” Shiro said with a chuckle. “Sarah, I’m coming to you.”

 

“Okay. I’m gonna start moving back, we might meet at the plaza.” Carefully, she extracted herself from the huddle of children. “Come with me this way, okay? That’s where the ship is.” Her heart swelled with warmth when Chi and Aukn’ec took her hands.

 

She kept a steady pace so she didn’t lose anyone; Sarah generally had a very fast pace and had to put forth conscious effort to slow it down. It occurred to her that is was rather strange how quickly the kids had adopted her, but on the other hand, she had fallen in love with them just as quickly.

 

Though she was very bad at estimating the passage of time and distance, Sarah assumed they were about halfway back to the ruined plaza. She was genuinely enjoying the children’s company, as they all chattered away about anything that came to mind. An explosion behind them caused them all to stop and fall silent.

 

“Mani, Mani, we go, we go!” Tei said, suddenly terrified, tugging at Sarah’s hand.

 

She didn’t stop to ask why the eldest child was suddenly so afraid; Sarah assumed it was Galra and led the way, running down the street. She heard Chi cry out; glancing behind her, she saw the smallest child had tripped. Sarah gestured for the rest to keep running forward, as she went to pick up the fallen Chi. The tiny child wrapped her dark orange arms around Sarah’s neck, holding on tightly.

 

“Sarah, what was that explosion?” Shiro asked over comms.

 

“I don’t know, I think it was Galra, we’re almost o the pla-eek!” she squealed as something hit her ankles, wrapping around. She fell, quickling twisting so she fell on her back and not Chi. Sarah pushed Chi towards the other children, waving at them to keep running while she figured out had tripped her and was still binding her legs together tightly.

 

“Sarah, what happened? Are you okay?” Shiro asked, panting slightly; it sounded like he had picked up speed.

 

Sarah found herself frozen almost, as she stared at the bolas wrapped tightly around her legs. There was something familiar about it, and a deep-seated, old fear rose within her.

 

“Sarah, what is it?” Kayla demanded.

 

Her sister’s voice triggered a memory of events she hadn’t thought about in years. She was running through a street on Earth at night, screaming for her sister, who was being carried through the air by an unknown force. When it stopped, something came flying at her; it caught her ankles, wrapping around and causing her to fall over. Something grabbed her shoulder and she whipped around violently.

 

“Hey, hey, it’s me.” Shiro said, concerned.

 

Sarah looked around wildly, disoriented, as her world had gone from Earth at night to the ruined planet at midday.

 

“What happened?” he asked soothingly, rubbing her back gently.

 

“I….I was on Earth….and they were taking Kayla…..” she murmured confused.

 

The pieces fell into place for both sisters at the same time.

 

“Shiro, get her out of there!” Kayla yelled desperately.

 

“The kids…where….” Sarah asked frantically.

 

“I directed them to the Black Lion.” he said, activating his Galra and freeing her legs from the bolas.

 

“Sarah, the kids are here, don’t worry about them, they’re safe, get yourself out of there.” Krisox said fiercely.

 

Shiro helped Sarah to her feet and they began running again. “What’s going on?” he asked, concerned and confused.

 

“The…slavers who kidnapped us…” Sarah said, fighting the flashbacks that demanded her attention. “They kidnap kids, they take kids and raise them as slaves, I didn’t know there were more, I thought they all died.”

 

“That explosion should’ve taken out everyone.” Kayla said fearfully.

 

“Stop reminiscing and get back here.” Krisox hissed through the comms.

 

The two sped up slightly when the ruined plaza came into view, only to have their path suddenly blocked by four vicious aliens with weapons. Sarah and Shiro skidded to a halt, backing up and looking around as they were quickly surrounded by a circle of aliens of various shape and size.

 

“Ya know, them kids was ours for the taking.” a particularly nasty, reptilian alien said. “We don take kindly to those who take our bounty.”

 

“Children aren’t a bounty.” Sarah said fiercely, glaring at him. He stared at her curiously; it sent a shiver down her spine.

 

He stepped out from the ring, approaching the two humans; Shiro reflexively moved to shield Sarah with his body. The reptilian stopped, amused. “I remember the face of every I take.” he said, tapping a cybernetic enhancement that jutted from his forehead. “And I remember yours.”

 

Sarah stared at him in disbelief, remembering who he was. “But….you died…in the explosion….”

 

“Ha! Those goodies didn’t know who they were messin with. Ukhin can survive anything. And I survived that.” Ukhin turned to face the circle. “These two robbed us of our prize, but there’s a silver lining. That one there,” he pointed a claw at Sarah, who recoiled. “was my capture once many years ago. And now she’s returned.” Low laughter spread through the circle; Sarah grabbed Shiro’s hand and he squeezed it, still standing between her and Ukhin. “They be older than our usual stock. But who cares?” the vile alien laughed heartily. He made eye contact with Sarah, holding her gaze. “Bag em.”


	53. They Sure Are

Sarah and Shiro barely had time to react; both were hit with tranquilizers half a second after Ukhin finished speaking. As she fell, Sarah tried to reach the Black Lion, begging her to protect her siblings and the children. She didn’t know if she was successful or not as she completely lost consciousness before she hit the ground.

 

When she next woke, she found her sprawled on a rough metal floor. Pushing herself up onto her hands and knees, she became very aware of her pounding head. “Oowww…”

 

“Sarah?”

 

Looking up, she saw Shiro in a cell next to hers; a thick grate separated them from each other and the rest of the ship. Sarah crawled over to the grate, trying not to think about how disgusting the floor was. “You okay?” she asked when she reached him.

 

“Yea, you?”

 

“Slight headache.” She looked around at the dimly lit hall and the seemingly endless row of cells. “This is just like the one Kayla and I were thrown into.” she murmured.

 

“How’d the one group get you guys out? Do you remember?” Shiro asked, swinging his legs around to sit cross-legged.

 

“Not a whole lot, unfortunately.” she answered, frowning. “I remember flashing red lights. A lot of kids were scared and screaming.” She bit her lip, squeezing her eyes shut as she strained to remember. “I know….there was gunfire. So they must’ve been armed.” She sighed, giving up and opening her eyes. “Not much more than that.”

 

“Better than nothing.” he said encouragingly as his eyes roved around the derelict ship. “I’m surprised this is functional, it looks like it’s falling apart.”

 

Sarah stared around herself, trying to absorb as much information as she could glean in the low lighting. The two were quiet for a time, listening to the various sounds of the ship: the humming of the engine, the whimpering children, the occasional racket as some piece of machinery declared itself obsolete and falling apart. She wouldn’t be surprised if they were holding the ship together with duct tape.

 

Sarah wasn’t sure how long they sat in silence, observing their surroundings, each likely trying to think up a plan to escape. But she wanted much more than that.

 

Her train of thought was broken when Ukhin walked up the hall, stopping by her cell. “I see you’re awake! Good. We weren’t sure if the tranqs would be too much. We rarely take adults, you see.” He paused, seeming to wait for a response, but continued on when neither gave him one. “We don’t really know what to do with you. Our buyers want obedient slaves, raised to be quiet and keep their head down.” The reptilian leaned against the grate separating her from him. “Could be an interesting gift to the Galra and their arena.”

 

Sarah couldn’t help but smirk as she shared a look with Shiro. Ukhin missed it, as one of his subordinates drew his attention away from them. As the loathsome reptile followed the other alien back down the hall, Sarah turned to her fiance, dropping her voice to a conspirational whisper. “I have the beginnings of a plan, still working on it, but whatever you do, don’t give away our strengths.”

 

Shiro raised an eyebrow but nodded. “Wanna surprise them?” Sarah giggled mischievously, smiling. “These guys are fucked, aren’t they?” he chuckled.

 

“They sure are.”


	54. Take the Ship

“What do you mean it’s destroyed? It’s at-” Ukhin said over the transceiver, cutting off abruptly. He glared at the device before tossing it away to a subordinate. “Seems luck is on your side, _humans_.” he hissed and Sarah and Shiro. “Some Champion and Sorceress spared you two from certain death.” The reptilian gruffly turned away, stomping down the hall. 

 

Sarah found she was having a hard time concealing her giggles. “Hey, we’re supposed to be laying low.” Shiro said with a smile, poking her through the grate. 

 

“I know, I know….” she murmured, trying to think of other things. 

 

He chuckled. “There’s a surprising lack of patrols.” he noted after she had rid herself of her giggle fit. “Can you see how many crew members there are?” 

 

“I can try.” Sarah said, relaxing and closing her eyes. Moving through the currents of quintessence, she explored the ship, trying to keep count of the bodies she saw. It didn’t take her very long to lap around, as the ship wasn’t very longer and only had two levels. She felt Shiro perk up as she opened her eyes. 

 

“That was fast.”

 

“Ships not that big. I think there’s only a dozen crew members? It was a little hard keeping the kids and crew separate in my head.” she said, frowning; she had always had trouble keeping numbers straight mentally. 

 

“There were definitely more than twelve on the planet.” Shiro murmured, staring at the ground while he thought. 

 

“Maybe they took separate ships?” Sarah suggested, shrugging. “Or maybe some stayed on the planet?” 

 

“Either way, they aren’t here. I think we could handle a dozen crew members, don’t you?” he asked with a smirk. 

 

“Most definitely.”

* * *

They agreed to reveal their various strengths when the right moment came, but were still trying to figure out what would constitute the right moment, when Ukhin returned to their cells with three others. As the reptile swiped the keycard over the lock keeping Sarah in, she stood, backing to the wall.

 

“What do you want.” she demanded as the four entered the cell. Shiro got to his feet as well, hovering on the other side of the grate. 

 

“I’ve heard there are certain pleasures human females can provide.” he growled, glaring at her. “I thought we’d try you out.” 

 

Sarah raised an eyebrow, looking over to her fiance and knew they were both thinking the same thing; the right moment was now. 

 

With a wave of her hand, she forcefully knocked the four over, giggling slightly as they became a tangled mess. “I’ll take that.” she said, delicately plucking the keycard from Ukhin scaly hand as he tried to disentangle himself from the pile. Sarah skipped out of her cell, closing and locking the door behind her. Shiro wrapped his human arm around her middle, his Galra arm still active from when he cut his way out of his cell. 

 

“That takes care of a third of the crew.” he laughed, pecking her on the cheek. “I’ll go secure the bridge.” 

 

“Right. I’ll see if there’s anyone in the maintenance wing.” 

 

They nodded and set off on their self appointed tasks. Sarah followed the hum of the rickety engines and machines, slowing to a stop just before a room helpfully labeled “MAINTENANCE”. There were only two aliens inside, which meant the other six were in the bridge or patrolling the ship. She hoped all six were in the bridge. 

 

Securing the maintenance room was a breeze. It didn’t take her long to subdue the two aliens and chain them to some machinery. She was in and out within five minutes and took to the halls, alert to any sound or movement. There didn’t seem to be any other crew members on the level, so she went to the prison block to check the children. 

 

She went up and down the row, assuring the kids that she would let them out, she just needed to check the lower level. She reached the end where her and Shiro had been kept and groaned; Ukhin was missing, but the other three were still in the cell. 

 

“Hey.” she said, rapping on the grate. “Where’d he go?” Whether they were groggy or defiant, she couldn’t tell, but none of them spoke. “Well you guys are real helpful.” she grumbled, looking up and down the prison block hall. She ran to the bridge, to check in with Shiro and gauge how many other crew members remained. 

 

When she reached it, she found the door open. Inside she found four aliens, passed out and tied up in a corner, and Shiro at the controls. “Hey.” she said, announcing her presence as she approached. “Did they get a signal out or anything?”

 

“Nope. I did though, not sure if the castle is still in the direction but it’s worth a shot. How many were in the maintenance?” 

 

Sarah watched his hands dance fluidly across the controls, entranced. “Uh, two. So that’s um….” She held up her hands.” 

 

“Nine.” Shiro said, slightly amused. “Three left.”

 

“Yea-wait, no, the head asshole got out somehow.”

 

“Well that’s a pain. Have you checked the lower deck yet?” 

 

“No, I wanted to check in first. Gauge how many were left.” she said airily, stretching. 

 

“Want me to come with you?” he asked, looking over his shoulder. She knew he still worried, but she was grateful he wasn’t as overbearing as he had once been. 

 

“I think I can handle it. But if you want to join in on the fun, I’m not going to stop you.” she said, smiling, and kissing him on the cheek before heading out. 

 

“I might take you up on that, if I can get this ship’s autopilot to function.” 

 

“Roger that.” 

 

She jogged down the main hall to the central area, where the ladder and elevator to the lower level were located. She crouched down beside the ladder, looking down; everything was dark with the exception of the blinking red alarm lights. She couldn’t hear much beyond the hum and racket of the machines and engines. It was curious that the alarms weren’t sounding, but she set that aside. 

 

Lying on her stomach, she dropped her head down to get a better, albeit upside down, view of the halls below. Though she couldn’t see any movement, she didn’t trust that for a second. Sarah pulled herself up to a standing position, looking around for alternatives. Her eyes lit up when she landed on an air vent grate. “My favourite!”

 

After she eased herself down the vent to the second level, she took a moment to listen, hoping perhaps she could hear something carried to her by the vent. She thought she caught slight murmuring and followed the sound down one of the branches. 

 

She was right on the money; after crawling through the dusty vent for a few minutes, the murmuring grew louder. She turned a corner and the voices became distinct and she could understand what they were saying. 

 

“You think it was them?” one asked, shaking slightly. 

 

“That’s what it looks like.” Ukhin growled. “Just our luck, catching _the_ Champion and _the_ Sorceress.”

 

“So she’s not one of the humans you-”

 

“No, she is.” the reptilian said impatiently. 

 

“I didn’t know humans could possess magic.” a third voice said. 

 

“Normally, they can’t. She is an anomaly.” a fourth chipped in. 

 

“It doesn’t matter. We know this ship, they don’t. We’ll overpower them easily.” Ukhin said confidently. 

 

“And then what?” the first voice asked. 

 

“And then we kill ‘em.” Ukhin said simply. “Let’s go, they’ve probably taken the bridge by now.” 

 

“Yep…” Sarah whispered to herself, listening to their footsteps as they left the room. 

 

Running on memory and guess work, she navigated her way to the main hall of the lower level, which mirrored the upper level. She almost fell out of the vent, as there was a large gaping hole just over the hall. A second later, the four aliens walked directly under the vent. Sarah dropped her head down, watching them walk away. Pulling back up, she swung her legs over and carefully hoisted herself down into the hall. She dropped the rest of the way, a gentle thump amidst the engines’ hums. It seemed only Ukhin heard her, as the others kept walking when he froze, slowly turning around. 

 

“Witch.” he hissed through his teeth. “I’ll break you.” 

 

“Not if I break you, first.” Shiro said fiercely from behind him


	55. Unipeace

Ukhin looked between them, snarling at the sight of his defeated subordinates behind the Black Paladin. “I’m not afraid of you, _Champion_.” he spat.

 

Sarah and Shiro smirked at the same time. “It’s really not me you should be afraid of.” 

 

Before the reptilian could turn back to face her, Sarah had him flying down the hall to its far end. He crumpled for a second, but when he managed to get to his feet he immediately began charging at them, roaring in anger. Shiro’s Galra hand made for a wonderful light show amidst the still flashing red alarm lights and Sarah’s own white quintessence energy. His graceful arcs and her strong blasts cast sharp shadows against the walls. An outside observer could mistake them for elegant dancers, if they ignored their deadly attacks. 

 

It didn’t take long for the couple to wear Ukhin down. With a wave of her hand, Sarah cast a white slash that knocked the reptile’s feet out from under him. In the next second, she was sitting on his back, Shiro kneeling next to them. “Game over, lizard.” he said, winking at Sarah, who giggled in response.

* * *

After securing the crew with a mixture of chains and cells, Sarah let the kidnapped children out while Shiro manned the control room. After double and triple checking that there weren’t any more children locked up, Sarah escorted them to the control room. 

 

“Get anything?” she asked when she entered, inquiring after the signal he had sent out to the castle. 

 

“Yep. They should be here any minute.” he turned, leaning against the panel. “Everything squared away?” 

 

“Yup. Ukhin isn’t getting out again, that’s for sure.” she said, kneeling down to make sure the kids were okay. “Don’t worry, you’re safe now.” 

 

Many of the young ones seemed scared and nervous still, but a handful had warmed up to Sarah, hovering close to her. 

 

Just as he had said, the castle burst through a wormhole close by after a few moments. What they did not expect was another fairly large ship to follow. Sarah and Shiro shared a confused look, interrupted by Allura hailing the slaver vessel, informing them that Hunk was going to fly his Lion out to them, followed by some ships from the mystery vessel. 

 

“Who are they?” Shiro asked when the Princess finished. 

 

“Its UniPeace, the organisation that rescued Sarah and Kayla back when Ukhin first caught them. Krisox contacted them not long after we lost contact with both of you.” she answered cheerily, relieved they were okay. 

 

A few minutes later, Hunk and the other ships docked. Kayla and Krisox were the first to depart the Yellow Lion, almost suffocating Sarah as they hugged her tightly. Members from UniPeace set to work gathering the children and taking care of the slavers. 

 

“They said they’d take care of everything else.” Hunk said with a shrug, answering Sarah and Shiro’s questioning looks. “They’ve just about cleaned up the child slave network.” 

 

“Cool!” Sarah said, clapping excitedly. If she were to be honest with herself, she wanted the slavers to suffer grotesquely. Turning children into slaves was unimaginably horrible, and her heart ached for those already stripped off their innocence. But she didn’t want to focus on what she couldn’t change. Her thoughts drifted to the five children she had found before capture, wondering if UniPeace would re-home them as well, and she felt saddened by the idea. She felt guilty, knowing they deserved a good, safe home, but she had been looking forward to seeing them again. 

* * *

To Sarah’s great surprise, the five stray children were waiting for her and Shiro with Allura when they returned. The Princess smiled as the little ones ran up to the couple, hugging and clinging to them. 

 

“I thought UniPeace would re-home them as well?” Sarah asked, confused but delighted. 

 

“They intended to. But you must have made some impression on them, they refused to leave.” Allura said, kneeling next the huddle. 

 

“Looks like you’re stuck with ‘em!” Lance teased, ruffling Aurcter’s feathered head. The children paid no mind, chattering animatedly and excitedly. 

 

“Oh, we have a new member to the team.”  Coran said, as he and short person with ginger hair entered the hanger. “This is Oliver. UniPeace picked them up when they were freeing children from a slave colony. They crashed there when escaping a Galra ship. They’re really quite lucky.” 

 

“I am, I’m so fortunate, everyone’s been so nice. Well, except for the Galra. And the slavers. Everyone else.” they said with a laugh. 

 

“Well, welcome aboard, Oli!” Sarah said brightly. 

 

“Just roll with it, she likes her nicknames.” Hunk said when Oliver looked around confused. “I’m Legman, Pidge is Pidgey, Lance’s always changes.”

 

“One day it’ll be Blue Man Group, next it’ll be You Little Shit.” Pidge said with a completely straight face. 

 

“Hey, tell ‘em Keith’s!” Sarah chirped excitedly. 

 

Keith went slightly red faced and got very flustered. “No, no, that’s not necessary.” 

 

“Besides, you’re the only one who can remember it.” Pidge pointed out. 

 

“Okay, I’ll tell ‘em Keith’s.” Sarah began, ignoring Keith’s groans. “He’s my Gay Half-Alien Mullet Hot-headed Emo…..” Pidge and Allura dissolved into a fit of giggles as Keith tried to disappear from reality out of embarrassment. 


	56. Lion

“Allura, Allura!!” Pidge called excitedly, running down the hall to the Princess’s bedroom. It was a good thing Allura and Sarah had been letting their nails dry and hadn’t actively been painting them, because the Green Paladin made them jump violently. 

 

“What is it?” Allura asked, a little annoyed but disguising it well. 

 

“Look what we found!” Pidge ran in, followed by Hunk, carrying various books and scrolls. They dumped them unceremoniously on Allura’s bed and spread them out. “Lion blueprints and instructions!” 

 

“Oh, wow….” Allura murmured in disbelief. “Where did you find these?” 

 

“We were just exploring, as one does, because let’s face it large portions of the castle are unexplored.” Hunk began.

 

“And we took it upon ourselves to rectify that.” Pidge continued smoothly. “We’re poking around and happen upon a library!” 

 

“A big, dusty library. So of course we take a look around.” 

 

“And just lying on one of the back tables are all these blueprints and books and instructions on how to make Voltron Lions!!!” Pidge finished, virtually bouncing with excitement. 

 

“This is incredible!” Allura said, her eyes lighting up. 

 

“Are you guys gonna try and build a Lion?” Sarah asked eagerly. 

 

“Yea, if we can get the parts!” Hunk said, determined. 

 

“I’m gonna go tell Shiro, this is so cool!” Sarah said as she sprinted off to find her fiance. She had last seen him sparring with Keith, but that had been a while ago. If she had to guess, she would say he was in the lounge on this level. As she grew closer to its open door, she knew she was right when his voice reached her. The topic of conversation, however, was something she absolutely did not want to hear coming from him and she completely forgot what she wanted to tell him. 

 

“Shiro, I thought we both agreed not to talk about death?” she said irritably, standing the door, her arms crossed across her small chest. 

 

He jumped slightly, and his face fell as he turned towards her. “I didn’t know you…were there….” he said, somewhat lamely. 

 

Keith fidgeted slightly as she sat down next to Shiro, still miffed. 

 

“Besides, if you were to die,” she said, her tone angry and fierce. “I’d march right into whatever afterlife you believe in and drag your ass back to the land of the living.” 

 

“Sarah….you can’t cheat death….” Keith said cautiously. He recoiled when she glared at him.

 

“Watch me.” she snarled; in that moment, she knew both of them actually believed her capable. And she damn well could be. 


	57. He Wakes

“Probably don’t go down that hall.” Sarah said, giving the kids a tour of the castle. “There’s a scary Galra locked up in a tube. Niruth is trying to extract information from him.” 

 

“Niruth is the….dragon?” Tei asked, peering down the hall curiously. 

 

“Yes. Have you guys formally met her yet? Let’s go there now anyway, I need to ask her some stuff.” She gently tugged Tei’s hand as she was still staring down the hall. It was somewhat concerning that Tei was so curious about the hall, but Sarah hoped she could distract her, make her forget about the imprisoned Sendak. 

 

“Hey, Niruth!” she greeted cheerily, approaching the resting dragon. Her mentor had been spending large quantities of time resting as she tried to extract valuable information from Sendak. Sarah hadn’t really gotten a chance to ask about the dragon’s progress, what with rescuing her sister and being captured by slavers. “How’s it going?” 

 

 _“Well enough, I suppose. The Galra is being difficult. Hopefully the Altean devices are gathering what I have managed to extract.”_ she raised her head as the party reached her.  _“It’s nice to finally meet you, little ones.”_  

 

The five children stared in awe at the magnificent white creature. Chi and Aury hid behind Sarah’s legs while V’selle and Aukn’ec hovered by her sides. Tei hesitated a moment before building up her courage and cautiously approaching Niruth, one hand outstretched. The dragon carefully lowered her snout to gently nudge the small being’s hand. Tei giggled and began stroking her smooth white feathers. Chi ran over, jumping up and down in her attempts to join Tei. The older child took pity on her and picked her up so she, too, could pet Niruth. The other three were more hesitant, but soon all five were happily stroking the dragon. Sarah giggled, clapping giddily, overjoyed with the interaction. She could feel that Niruth enjoying herself; she supposed it had been too long since the dragon had last seen children. It was heartwarming to know that such pure moments could still exist in the midst of war. 

* * *

Sarah was abruptly awoken by small hands shaking her arm. Groggily, she opened her eyes to see V’selle and Chi, both wearing terrified expressions that immediately woke her up. “What’s wrong?” she asked, grabbing her glasses so she could see clearly. Sarah slid off the bed to crouch in front of them at their eye level. 

 

“Tei-tei.” Chi whimpered, visibly trembling. 

 

“What is it?” Shiro asked from behind her. 

 

“Tei wanted to see the Galra.” V’selle cried. 

 

Sarah’s eyes grew wide. Before she could move, Shiro was already on his feet, running out of the room. “Stay in Mani’s bed, okay? Where’s Aury and Aukn’ec?” 

 

“They followed Tei.” V’selle said, climbing into the bed. 

 

Sarah picked Chi up, gently lowering her down next to V’selle. “Stay here, promise?” She waited for them to nod before running after Shiro. 

 

Turning onto the hall, she saw the brothers holding each other, staring at Sendak inside the tube that was slowly draining of fluid. Keith was frantically trying to figure out the controls while Shiro was holding a crying Tei. 

 

“Aury, Aukn’ec, you know where Mani’s room is?” she asked, kneeling next to them. “Okay, go to Mani’s room, okay? V’selle and Chi are there.” she instructed after they nodded. As the two ran off she straightened up and ran over to the other three. “What happened?” she asked when she reached Shiro and Tei, crouching down next to them. 

 

“She doesn’t know.” Shiro answered, worry etched in his face. “Hey, Mani’s here.” he said softly to the shaking Tei. “Do you want to go to Mani?” 

 

Teiisa nodded, sniffing, and eased out of his arms as she moved to Sarah’s. “Shuush, it’s okay…” she said, holding the child tightly. Her eyes watched in horror as Sendak’s tube completely drained of the fluid that was keeping him in stasis. Before they could react, the Galra woke and smiled devilishly as the tank opened. 

 

“Sarah, take Tei and go!” Shiro commanded as he and Keith took defensive stances. 

 

Without looking behind her, Sarah picked Tei up and ran down the hall, away from the fighting. She was almost back to her and Shiro’s room when she turned a corner and almost ran into Kayla. 

 

“What’s going on? Aury came and-” she started before her sister cut her off.

 

“Sendak got out, we don’t know how. Take Tei, I gotta go back.” Sarah passed the child off to a flustered and confused Kayla. 

 

“Wait-go _back_?” she shouted in concern as Sarah turned and ran. 

 

“Shiro’s there!” 

 

As she was running, the ship’s alarms began blaring. They were so loud she wanted to cover her ears and cry but she pushed on. When she turned onto the hallway she stared aghast at the scene before her.

 

Sendak was directing Galra troops to take an unconscious Shiro and Keith aboard their ship. Her arrival caught the attention of the other Galra officer, who pointed. As a handful off the bots opened fire, Sarah threw up a quintessence barrier. When the plasma bolts rebounded violently, she hastily pulled it down, not wanting the rebounds to hit Shiro or Keith. She ducked behind an unused pod, straining to listen to Sendak’s commands.

 

“Ignore her for now. We have a good bounty. Let’s go.” 

 

As the Galra began marching off she peered around and watched as they disappeared out of sight. Thinking quickly, she transported herself after them, disappearing and reappearing in smoke a short way behind them until they reached where the Galra ship had breached the castle’s hull. With a quick search over quintessence, she materialised inside a Galra air vent not far inside, pausing to listen as the group boarded. 

 

“Take off immediately. It won’t be long before the other Paladins are ready to engage. Lock those two up.” Sendak said gruffly.

 

“Yes, sir.”


	58. Astral

“How’d he even get out?” Keith asked, not really expecting an answer. Shiro shook his head. He couldn’t figure it out either. He also didn’t understand why the castle’s alarms didn’t sound sooner than they had. Nothing about the predicament made sense. 

 

He was about to open his mouth to speculate further, but a soft voice filled the room, cutting him short. “Shuuush.” Sarah’s voice said, before she materialised in the cell with them. She knelt down next to Shiro, wrapping her arms around his neck. “You okay?” she whispered, her stormy gray eyes scanning his face. 

 

“Yeah, I’m fine. What happened? Where’s Tei?” he asked as he wrapped his arms around her waist. 

 

“I passed her to Kayla. I came back to see how it was going and, well….” she trailed off and he nodded. 

 

“We weren’t betting on Sendak having reinforcements.” Keith said grumpily. 

 

“That is really weird.” Sarah mused, shifting to sit in Shiro’s lap so her back wasn’t to Keith. “I mean this ship isn’t particularly big but still.” 

 

“Did you scan it already?” Shiro asked as he brushed some her hair behind her ear. 

 

“Yea. There’s like three officers and then a lot of bots. I don’t know about you two, but I’d rather not engage that. At least not in my PJs.” she chuckled. 

 

“Yea if we can get out without getting too much attention, that would be spectacular.” Shiro murmured thoughtfully. 

 

“From what I can tell, that’s not exactly an option.” Keith said as he stood up and stretched. “Really wish I had my bayard right now.” 

 

“I really wish I was in my armour and not sweatpants.” Shiro said with a smile. His gaze moved to Sarah and he found her deep in thought. “Hey, what are you planning?” 

 

“There’s something I remember reading about once that might help here.” she said slowly. 

 

“But…?”

 

“It’s difficult. And you might freak out a little at first. It’s….weird and hard to explain.” she frowned, biting her lip. “Have you ever heard of astral projection?”

 

“No.” Shiro said at the same time Keith said “Yes.” 

 

The couple looked at the Red Paladin, surprised. “I came across a lot of weird metaphysics sites when I was in the shack.” he explained with a shrug. 

 

“What is it?” Shiro asked, looking between them. 

 

“It’s like….it’s kind of um….” Sarah attempted to explain, but found she couldn’t even with her hand movements. 

 

“It’s like you leave your body and travel around.” Keith filled in for her. 

 

“You leave your body….?” Shiro asked, confused. 

 

“Yea, your quintessence. It’s really hard to do, you have to be very connected with your own life energy as well as that of the universe’s.” Sarah said, nodding. “I think i could prep an escape vessel and open the door.”

 

“Is it dangerous?” Shiro asked, observing her carefully. 

 

“Technically all magic is dangerous.” she pointed out.

 

“Sarah….”

 

“It’s no more dangerous than what I usually do.” she said assuredly. 

 

“You said I might freak out….”

 

“Well, I’m leaving my _body_ ….” she said, slightly uneasy. 

 

“Oh….. _oh_.” he said when it clicked. He wasn’t sure how he felt about that. He thought back to the vision nightmare they had shared. 

 

“I can try to find another way….” she whispered, watching his face as he thought things over. 

 

He shook his head. “It doesn’t look like we have much of a choice.” She nodded, cupping his face in her hands and kissing him gently. He needed that; he wasn’t going to enjoy what was coming, he knew it. 

 

Sarah pulled away and closed her eyes, meditating for a few moments. Keith only just barely managed to be patient. After approximately five minutes, Sarah let out a sigh and two things happened at once: a cloud of what looked like lavender glitter rose from her body as the latter went limp in his arms. He had to fight the initial rise of panic he felt, reminding himself of the plan. 

 

Noiselessly, the cloud that was Sarah floating elegantly through the air and out the door through the small window. A few seconds later and the door unlocked and slid open. The glimmering lavender mist- _Sarah_ , he had to to keep reminding himself-did a loop in the air before floating off down the hall. 

 

“Uh, I guess we follow her?” Keith asked, unsure. 

 

Shiro nodded wordlessly, carefully standing, as he was still holding her body. Keith led the way out with Shiro following, trying to focus on Keith’s footsteps and not the limp form of his fiance in his arms. 

 

The halls were curiously clear; Sarah had said there were a lot of bots, where were they? A few moments later Sarah stopped outside a door, performing a few loops in front of it. 

 

“Escape pod?” Keith asked, though Shiro wasn’t sure how she would answer. She surprised him by opening the door; inside was a small craft similar to what Shiro had used to escape to earth. “It’s gonna be cramped.” Keith muttered, climbing in. 

 

Suddenly, the alarms began sounding. Shiro squeezed in hastily, being careful not to harm Sarah-Sarah’s body-as he did so. Her mist form floated in after, closing the door and launching them before returning to her physical form. He was so relieved when she started breathing again, he was almost crying when her eyes fluttered open. 

 

“Shiro, are you okay…?” she asked wearily.

 

“Yea, don’t worry about me, how are you?”

 

“Tired.” she answered truthfully, snuggling closer to him. “That was really hard. I just wanna sleep….” 

 

He nodded, kissing the top of her head. “You do that, baby.” he whispered. He caught Keith’s eye as the Red Paladin smiled at them. “What?”

 

“Nothin.” he said, turning back to pilot the craft. “You guys are really cute, is all.”


	59. Repercussions

“Okay, so I think what happened,” Pidge began, laptop in hand. “Someone on the Galra ship hacked into our security system somehow and disabled a lot of our protocols. I guess at some point they just stopped, or the castle had some other protocols that kicked into gear….” They trailed off, shrugging. 

 

“ _I’m sorry I’m not of more use. I was asleep at the time._ ” Niruth said, broadcasting her melodic voice in the head of everyone present. Sarah, Shiro, Allura, and Pidge had gathered in the hanger to try and figure out how Sendak’s escape was made possible. “ _I hope what I managed to extract is useful._ ” 

 

“I’m sure it will be. I’m gonna go look over it now.” Pidge assured the dragon, turning on their heel and departing. 

 

“Hey, Sarah!” Kayla called from Darling. She and Oliver peeked out of the craft’s open hatch. “Come show me how to get this thing going!” 

 

“Again?” Sarah asked, exasperated. Shiro smiled to himself; she had found an application that helped those with dyslexia, as Kayla and Oliver did, and had told them how to transfer it to their omniphones several times already. Sarah rolled her eyes but jogged over, disappearing inside with them. 

 

“ _Shiro, if you could go into more detail about your escape?_ ” Niruth asked, gazing at him in a knowing fashion. He had the feeling that she knew what his response would be, but wanted to hear it aloud nonetheless. 

 

“Well Sarah snuck aboard and we were trying to figure out how to escape without attracting a lot of attention…we weren’t exactly prepared to fight a couple dozen sentries and four Galra officers.” he shrugged as the dragon and Allura nodded, listening attentively. “Sarah had an idea, she called it like…astral projecting, I think?” He paused when Niruth’s eyes grew wide in concern. “What’s wrong?”

 

“ _Tell me exactly what she did._ ” she said seriously. 

 

“Uhm…” he hesitated, sharing a confused and concerned look with Allura. “She meditated….and then…..she said it was her quintessence…..uh…left her body, I guess….?” He winced, recalling the event; it was too much like the nightmare and he didn’t like reliving it. 

 

“ _That was extremely dangerous._ ” Niruth said, her voice wavering slightly. “ _That is an advanced skill, more often than not the witch would lose themselves in the universe’s quintessence flow._ ” 

 

“What do you mean ‘lose themselves’?” Allura asked cautiously. 

 

Niruth looked into Shiro’s eyes and he knew the answer before she gave it. “ _They would become one with the universe and….be gone forever._ ”  

 

Allura gasped as Shiro’s face drained of colour. Fighting back angry tears, he marched to Darling, Allura trailing after him, worried. Sarah was standing behind her sister, directing her on how to work the application; she looked up when he entered, her smile fading when she registered something was wrong.

 

“Shiro? What is-?” she began, gasping when he grabbed her shoulders roughly. 

 

“Never again.” he said fiercely, fighting back tears. “You aren’t doing that ever again. Nothing is worth that.” He pulled her into a tight hug, giving in to the tears. “Nothing. Not Voltron, not the universe, _nothing_ is worth losing you.”

 

“I…I’m sorry…” she said in a small voice, burying her face in his shoulder. “It seemed like the best idea at the time.” 

 

Shiro pulled back, stroking her cheek with his human hand. “Never again, okay? Promise me.” She nodded, her eyes glistening. He pulled her into a kiss, desperate and needy; he already knew what it was like to lose her and would do everything in his power to prevent it from ever happening. “I can’t lose you.” he whispered, resting his head against hers. “You’re my universe.” 

 

“And you’re mine.” she whispered. 


	60. Trap

“Okay, Pidge, what’d you find?” Allura asked, looking over the small Paladin’s shoulder as they typed away furiously. 

 

“A good deal more than last time, though some of it is fragmented and missing pieces. Like we only got parts of a memory.” they said, projecting their laptop screen to the holo-display so they didn’t have to crowd around a tiny screen. “Figured out how they found us; Sendak had a tracker in his suit. He was actually communicating with the ship while in the tube.” 

 

“What? How?” Coran asked, alarmed. 

 

“Beats me. But I know where he’s going.” Pidge maximised a window, revealing a strange Galra base on a bizarre, sickly yellow planet. 

 

“Where is that, Pidge?” Shiro asked, his eyes scanning the image. 

 

Sarah leaned over Pidge’s shoulder, trying to get a closer look. “Sarah, do you mind?” Pidge said irritably. “I’ll send you the damn file.”

 

“Oh, sorry.” she said, the back of her neck growing warm. “I just wanted a really close look….”

 

“Okay, you have the picture on your phone now, look as closely as you want.” 

 

“Thanks, Pidgey.” she said meekly, pulling out her phone. 

 

“Trying to get the coordinates now…” Pidge murmured, once again typing away furiously. 

 

Sarah grumbled about the small size of her phone’s screen and commandeered a side holo-screen, pinching and pulling and dragging with her fingers to look more closely at the image. Oliver and Kayla joined her, pointing at various things while Pidge read out the coordinates to the rest of the room. 

 

“What are those tank things? They look like they’re filled with something yellow.” Oliver said as Sarah was scrolling. She stopped and zoomed on what they had pointed out. 

 

“Looks like that quint-whatever stuff the druid was messing with that one time.” Keith said from behind them, making the three jump slightly. 

 

“They…store it?” Sarah asked, confused. 

 

“Yea, they store it and then a druid zaps it to make Galra fuel.” Keith said with a shrug. “What?” he asked when Sarah continued to stare at him, perplexed. 

 

“That’s…..how?” she trailed off, turning back to the screen. “They steal it from planets, store it, and turn it into fuel…..” She became lost in thought, staring at the screen. 

 

“Is that close by?” Shiro asked as Pidge pulled up a map. 

 

“Ish. You wanna look into it?” 

 

“It might be a good idea.” he said, nodding. “See what intel we can nab.”

* * *

A small strike team consisting of Shiro, Sarah, Allura, and Keith descended to the planet surface in Krisox’s vessel, which could go completely undetected both on scanners and by the naked eye. They slipped in through a large ventilation shaft, which emptied out into a noisy maintenance room. Allura and Keith went to find a room to extract information from, while Shiro and Sarah explored quietly, recording their journey through their helmets and streaming it to the castle that orbited just out of the Galra base’s range. 

 

“What’s with the weird runes?” Lance’s voice crackled over comms. It did strike Sarah as odd; on each wall panel was a large, strange symbol. It looked like they spelled something out but she couldn’t make head or tail of it. 

 

“Coran, Krisox, do you recgonise them?” Shiro asked, slowing to a stop as they came upon an intersection. 

 

“All I can tell you is that it looks Galra.” Krisox answered with a _twinge_ of sarcasm.

 

“You are _so_ helpful.” Sarah said, whose voice was _dripping_ with sarcasm.

 

“Look, the pattern changes this way.” Shiro whispered, looking down the hall. 

 

“Pidgey, think you could find something to translate these?” Sarah asked quietly, following Shiro down the hall. 

 

“I can try.” Pidge’s voice crackled in her ear. 

 

“Look, it changes with the hallways.” Shiro pointed out as they came to another intersection. 

 

“It’s like street signs. Only…bigger.” Sarah said, emphasizing her point with her hands. 

 

“I hope we’re following them correctly.” Shiro teased as they continued. 

 

“We could always stop and ask for directions.” 

 

“Sarah, don’t you know guys don’t ask for directions?” Lance said over the comms. 

 

“Yea, we prefer to get lost on our own terms.” Hunk joked.

 

“That’s enough chatter.” Allura said firmly. 

 

Shiro cleared his throat, getting back into a serious and focused mindset. Sarah followed his lead, successfully fighting against the giggles that had threatened to bubble forth. 

 

They reached the end of the hall and came to a stop outside a large door with smaller glowing runes around it. Sarah looked to Shiro, who shrugged, before opening it and venturing inside. 

 

They found themselves in a large, square room with nothing in it. The only noticeable feature was a thick line that ran parallel to the door, dividing the room. Sarah moved further into the room while Shiro moved along the perimeter, each baffled. 

 

“I have a bad feeling about this…” Shiro said, staring around, puzzled. “And there’s been a disturbing lack of any sentries….”

 

Sarah nodded, approaching the line. It looked like it was just painted on the floor, nothing but decoration. Her eyes scanned the ceiling as she stepped over it. “Almost like it’s a….” she gasped. As soon as she was past the line, an electric forcefield sprung to life, spanning the width and height of the room. Shiro ran over, stopping in front of her, both of them trying to find a way to disable it. 

 

“Humans are so predictable.” a voice said from behind her. She spun around, finding Sendak smirking at her. 

 

“This was too easy.” a figure cackled from behind Shiro. Sarah didn’t need to turn around to know it was Haggar. 

 

“A trap.” she murmured. 


	61. Escape

Sarah felt absolutely stupid; of course it was a trap. She should’ve picked up that something was off by the lack of sentries. This was the exact same thing the Voltron crew did last time they extracted Sendak’s memories. She had a feeling either he or someone else had put two and two together. But now was not the time to dwell on hindsight.

 

“I’ve been waiting for a chance to go head to head with you.” Sendak growled. “Wanna see how you’ll fare, witch?”

 

Sarah rolled her eyes, taking an offensive stance. “Yea, whatever, I got things to do.” She charged, waiting for him to block her before teleporting behind him, knocking him across the floor with a white slash. He roared, rising to his feet and stampeding towards her, his prosthetic glowing bright and purple. He was so large she slid out of his attacks easily; it was nice being small. His glowing claws sliced the air where she had just been, as she had ducked and rolled behind him.

 

A few blasts hit the ceiling on the other side of the force field, causing part of it to crumple and fall to the floor. It took everything in her power to not turn around and check on Shiro. She focused on ending it quickly with Sendak and hoping Shiro was holding his own against Haggar.

 

Sendak raised his prosthetic fist, fist clenched, and hurled it at her. At the right moment, she threw up a quintessence barrier, which caused the appendage to ricochet wildly. While he was distracted, she pushed the barrier forward, slamming him into the wall. She watched as he crumpled to the ground and wait a few seconds to make sure he was down for the count before turning to see how Shiro was faring.

 

“Where’d she go?” she asked, confused. Shiro seemed fine, but Haggar was nowhere to be found.

 

“I don’t know, she vanished when you shoved Sendak against the wall.” Shiro said, panting slightly as he approached the force field. “How do we-? Look out!” His eyes widened as Sendak lunged at her from behind. Sarah smirked, disappearing in smoke just before he reached her, causing him to plunge his Galra hand into the force field. He let out an agonising cry, his arm short-circuiting and falling to the ground half a second before he collapsed himself.

 

Shiro breathed a sigh of relief. “That was some quick thinking.”

 

“Yea, I was hoping it’d fuck with the barrier though.” Sarah said, frowning slightly. A sudden movement caught her eye; before she could react, Haggar dug her electrified claws into Shiro’s side, her other hand clamped around his mouth. She cackled as she disappeared with him. Sarah screamed, incoherent, trying again and again to materialise on the other side but found herself unable to do so. Giving up on that, she took a few steps, wrapping a thick barrier of quintessence around her like a bubble, and ran at the field. Though there was resistance, she managed to force herself through, falling to the ground on the other side as her barrier disintegrated.

 

“Sarah, what happened, we lost you-” Allura began, her voice distorted slightly.

 

“Haggar has Shiro!” Sarah shouted, running down the hall, not bothering to be quiet or sneaky. When she had to stop to catch her breath, she used it as an opportunity to search the facility and locate Shiro’s quintessence. She found him in a strange circular room. She couldn’t make out too many details, but he was surrounded by black quintessence signatures; she figured those were the druids. To her surprise, Allura’s pink and Keith’s red energies were not far away. “Okay, don’t be startled.” she said, preparing herself. She hadn’t teleported to a place she couldn’t see directly before, and hoped she didn’t end up in a wall.

 

“Don’t be-? Ah!” Allura yelled when Sarah materialised between her and Keith.

 

“He’s this way.” Sarah said, taking off down the hall. They turned a corner and she felt Shiro’s energy just beyond the door at the end of the hall. She sped up, blasting the door open when she reached so she didn’t have to stop.

 

Inside, Shiro was on a table, not unlike the one she had been on in their nightmare; Haggar and the other druids were backing away, hissing. Before she could get to them they disappeared.

 

“Where’d they go?” Keith asked, running in, his bayard at the ready.

 

“It doesn’t matter.” Sarah said curtly, running to Shiro’s side. “Shiro, come on, speak to me.”

 

He groaned, his eyes opening slowly. “What…happened…” He started to sit up but cried out in pain.

 

“Allura!” Sarah cried, close to tears. The Altean ran over and hoisted Shiro over her shoulders.

 

“Let’s go.” she said, leading the way.

Sarah insisted on waiting by his pod, sitting in the sunken center with her arms hugging her knees to her chest. He had already been in for a day; she was getting anxious the longer she had to wait. Now I know how Shiro felt. she thought grimly.

 

Kayla and Krisox did a good job of keeping her company, telling stories and sharing anecdotes. Allura joined them from time to time, enjoying hearing about their childhood and their home planet. The others came by as well, but less frequently, as they were busy with various tasks. Nonetheless, everyone was very attentive, checking Shiro’s progress and assuring her everything would be okay.

 

She didn’t realise she had drifted off until she felt someone stroking her hair. Groggily, she pushed herself up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. “Shiro!” she gasped softly when her eyes adjusted. She threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck as she hugged him tightly.

 

“Careful!” Allura said, supporting Shiro when he fell backwards slightly.

 

“Oh, I’m sorry!” Sarah said, quickly pulling herself away.

 

Shiro chuckled, pulling her back to him and kissing her, soft and sweet. She wanted to stay like this, in his arms forever, but that could not be the case.

 

“Do you remember what happened?” Allura asked tentatively.

 

Shiro pulled away from his fiance reluctantly. “I’m not sure…I remember pain. One minute I was in the room with Sarah, and then pain and then….Sarah was there, and I tried to sit but….pain….” He subconsciously felt his side where Haggar had clawed him.

 

Sarah whimpered, hugging him tightly again. “I’m sorry…”

 

“There was nothing you could do…” he murmured, stroking the back of her head. “It happened too fast.”

 

“Hey, Hunk says food’s ready-well, if it isn’t Sleeping Beauty.” Krisox teased.

 

“Sleeping Beauty?” Allura asked confused, as she and Sarah helped Shiro to his feet.

 

“It’s fairytale from earth. A princess is cursed to sleep a hundred years. It’s jokingly used with people who sleep a lot or something.” Sarah explained.

 

“Interesting…” Allura murmured.

 

As the party left the room, Sarah shared a look with Allura; she couldn’t place it, but something felt off. It was a deep seated, gut feeling, that only hinted at its existence, but it was there. She was desperate to know what it was Haggar had done, if she did anything at all, before they had barged in. She must have done something….We’ll figure it out. she thought confidently to herself.


	62. Infiltrate

“What?” Krisox yelled into his phone, causing both sisters and Hunk to jump. They had been playing a board game in the dining room when the Dularian’s phone went off, drawing him away. “Avve, you have got to be joking.”

 

Sarah and Kayla shared a confused look as Hunk picked up some game pieces that had fallen when he was startled.

 

“Yea, no, I’ll be there asap. Out.” He slid his omniphone back into his pocket and sighed. “You’ll never guess what empire has set up a secret base on Vaynov.”

 

“What? Really?” Sarah asked, surprised; she had thought Zarkon left Vaynov alone because of how many cut throats were in the system. She guessed they could really make a dent in Galra forces if they wanted to.

 

“Galra are on Vaynov?” Kayla asked, tilting her head in confusion. “But I thought they had like agreed to leave it alone.”

 

“Agreed to leave it alone?” Hunk asked as he raised a suspicious eyebrow. “Why would Zarkon not want to conquer something?”

 

“Vaynov and its planetary system are chock full of the nastiest of the worst.” Krisox explained. “They make those robeasts Voltron faces look like nice kruittens. These cut throats may not be massive, but their tempers can be and their track sheet is soaked in blood. Pretty sure theres more of us in and around Vaynov than in Zarkon’s entire empire, but no one’s bothered to actually check.”

 

“Oh, wow.”

 

“Yea, so Galra being there is highly suspect.”

 

“What are you gonna do?” Sarah asked, watching her brother closely.

 

“Well I still have my own empire to run. Avve said the other heads are getting together to discuss the next course of action.”

 

“Oddly civilised for criminals.” Allura said, her tone somewhat pompous.

 

“Yea, well, even the scum at the bottom of the barrel have to be organised sometimes.” he said, smirking at the Princess, who growled.

 

“Allura, Krisox said there’s a secret Galra base on Vaynov.” Sarah said quickly, hoping to dispel the tension.

 

The Altean’s eyes widened. “Really….Is there nothing Zarkon won’t take for himself?”

 

“Well, we don’t know what the Galra are doing there. All signs point to that though.” Krisox shook his head, chuckling. “Worst mistake ever. If it’s one thing you don’t want, it’s a system full of cutthroats who want your blood.”

 

Allura bit her lip, clearly having an internal battle. “Krisox…” she said slowly after a moment. “Could we come, too?”

Girls / Shiro

A few days later found Shiro, Sarah, Kayla, Allura, and Krisox on Vaynov, preparing for another undercover mission. The Galra secret base was located underneath a nightclub, as were most bases on Vaynov. It was easier to torture information out of enemies when their screams were drowned out by loud bass and people dancing.

 

The plan was to have a handful of people masquerading as run-of-the-mill club goers enter the establishment and spread out to get an idea of the building’s layout. The next step of the plan was murky; the most Sarah could get out of her brother was “Wing it.” That didn’t sit well with the castle group.

 

“Degenerates.” Allura grumbled under her breath, arms crossed over her chest. “It’s absurd to not have a plan.”

 

“I agree, Allura, but this is their turf.” Sarah said quietly. The four stood huddled in the corner of a large, dilapidated bar that had long been closed. Krisox was directing his subordinates on what to do if anything broke out. “We need to at least pretend to be respectful.” The Princess scowled but remained quiet.

 

“Alright, let’s head out!” Krisox declared, jumping down from the table he had been using as a stage.

 

It was absolute chaos getting inside. As it was a new establishment, there were a good number of people trying to get in. Once the castle group were in, they regrouped far away from the front door.

 

“I regret coming.” Allura said miserably. “I thought Krisox had some kind of plan…..”

 

“I’m sure he has one, just whether he shares it with anyone is the question.” Kayla said, stretching. “Honestly we should decide what we want to do and leave Krisox to whatever.”

 

“Sounds good.” Shiro said, glaring at a few aliens who had been checking the girls out, but were now cowering and escaping into the crowd. “Sarah, think you could get a read on things below?”

 

“I can try, but no promises….this place is going to look like a mess of quintessence I can already tell.” She closed her eyes, trying to tune out the noise as best she could, focusing on the energy flow. Sure enough, Her surroundings were impossible to see, what with all the people present and dancing. She tried to venture downstairs in her mind’s eye, but she had extreme difficulty navigating. “Okay, I can give you an estimate of how many people…Galra….are down there, but that’s about it. There’s too much interference.”

 

“Better than nothing.” Allura said with a reassuring smile.

 

“Looked like about seven Galra, and then I think they have someone else down there.” Sarah said, returning the Princess’s smile appreciatively.

 

“How can you tell the difference?” Kayla asked, confused.

 

“Everyone has a different colour. I’ve noticed that the Galra are all varying shades of magenta.”

 

“Oh, that’s cool! What colour am I?”

 

“Let’s try to find a way downstairs.” Allura said before Kayla could continue her tangent.

 

After a thorough search, they came to the conclusion that it wasn’t going to be easy reaching the lower level. Every door had at least one bouncer, even the doors that led to the bathroom.

 

“Can’t you just, like, teleport down?” Kayla asked her sister.

 

“No, I have to see where I’m going. I could end up in a wall or something otherwise. And I don’t know about you, but that does not sound like a good time.” Sarah answered, her sarcasm a little sharper than she had intended. Her eyes scanned the dance floor before them. She caught Krisox in the middle with various other aliens, enjoying himself; she rolled her eyes.

 

Movement in the corner of her eye caught her attention. Abruptly looking to her right, she saw a purple alien disappear into what she remembered being a featureless wall.

 

“What is it?” Shiro asked, looking in the direction she was.

 

“I think I saw someone walk through a wall.” she said, monotone, already walking over to it. When she reached the wall, she found it as blank and dull as it had been when she passed it earlier. Frowning and resting her hands on her hips, she scanned for anything that might tell her where the person went.

 

“See anything?” Shiro asked when he joined her.

 

“No.” she said, slightly to herself.

 

“Let’s try poking things.” Kayla said after she squeezed through a rowdy group. She walked up to the wall and pushed against various areas-random spots on the wall-in the hopes that something would reveal itself.

 

Sarah thought back to what she had glimpsed-the mystery person had just walked into it. And no one around had taken notice. With barely any notice, she grabbed Shiro’s Galra arm, pulling him forward with her, and set it against the wall. The other three gasped when they heard some shift and Shiro’s hand sank through the wall.

 

“Bingo.” Sarah said, grinning.


	63. Rebels

“Well that’s clever.” Kayla said, sticking her hand through the wall.

 

“Looks like a video game glitch.” Sarah giggled, stepping through it.

 

“Sarah-” Shiro started, slightly exasperated; upon reflection, she figured she shouldn’t have just walked through not knowing what was on the other side.

 

Too late now.

 

On the other side was a dimly lit stairway. It took a second for her eyes to adjust to the change in light level. Sarah took a very careful step down to make room for the others as they crossed the threshold behind her. After the others had joined her on the stairs the wall made a zap noise and became solid again.

 

“Okay, stay quiet, stay low.” Shiro instructed, taking the lead.

 

“Oh, and we probably don’t want the Galra to know it’s us.” Sarah added quietly. “So no arm, no magic.” Shiro looked over his shoulder at her, concerned; she didn’t really have much of an arsenal besides her magic. She smiled and nodded reassuringly. He hesitated, but returned the nod, moving forward.

 

The basement level was grimey, gray, and falling apart. There seemed to be a labyrinth of tight, dark halls that slithered around each other. A thick layer of dust muffled the girls’ steps as they silently crept along, listening carefully for any sound. The music from the nightclub reverberated down to them, making it difficult to catch slight noises, even though it was slightly muffled by the walls dividing them.

 

The doors they passed were opened but the rooms they contained seemed empty. The group poked around inside the first one they came across while Shiro kept watch at the door, but all they found was clutter and trash. They skipped the next two, as they were in same state of disarray as the first.

 

They rounded a corner, and Shiro came to halt rather suddenly. Sarah peeked around him, but couldn’t see anything peculiar, just a purple glow emanating from some overhead lights. “Shiro?” she asked gently.

 

“Wha-? Oh, right…yea…” he mumbled, disconcerted. He continued without a word, causing Sarah to furrow her brow in concern. She had a suspicion she knew what just happened, and was about to pursue the subject when he stopped suddenly again, this time throwing his arm out to stop her and motioning for them get against the wall. It was then that she heard it; there were three people inside the only room whose door wasn’t all the way opened. Sarah couldn’t make out what they were saying, but the tone was serious and….wary. Nervous. This struck her as odd; she had never known the Galra to be anything but confident and bloodthirsty.

 

A second later, they heard heavy footsteps coming from behind them in the hall. The four quickly dove into two open rooms across the hall. Shiro pressed himself against the wall next to the door, Sarah beside him. The steps grew closer, and when they were right outside they heard the person open the door with some difficulty.

 

“We really couldn’t get any other place?” he grumbled to the other three mystery figures.

 

“You know we couldn’t. This is the best place to work covertly. And according to Thace, some of the crime bosses already have a suspicion we’re here. Any other place and it wouldn’t be a suspicion.”

 

Sarah frowned; this wasn’t the Galra modus operandi. She opened her mouth to say something but was silenced by Shiro, who was holding a finger to his mouth and pointing to the corner. Sarah looked and her eyes widened; there was an alien sleeping deeply, covered in various rags and blankets. She and Shiro slowly and quietly crept back into the hallway, moving away from the occupied rooms. Shiro moved a bit faster, as she was in heels. She was on the verge of asking if he saw where Kayla and Allura went when she was again interrupted by heavy footfalls.

 

She wouldn’t have time to reach the room Shiro dove into, not without making noise, so she slipped through the door nearest to her. This room was completely dark, save for the mix of purple and green streaming in from the hall. She stood as flush to the wall as she could, trying to be as quiet as possible. Have I always breathed this loud?

 

The footfalls grew closer and closer and then….continued into the room she was in. The Galra walked over to a shabby desk, turning on a lamp and sitting in chair that squeaked severely. Sarah clamped her hands over her mouth, her eyes wide.

 

“I told them we couldn’t leave a paper trail….” he grumbled, tearing apart a piece of paper almost to where it was confetti. “I don’t want to think of what Zarkon would have the druids do if we got caught.”

 

Sarah tilted her head, curious; what was going on? Suddenly, the Galra froze. In one swift movement, he threw a dagger in her direction; she squealed and ducked, covering her head with her arms as if that would have helped. The blade hit the wall where she had just been; it pierced the rusting, decrepit walls, and she stared up at it before moving her frightened gaze to its wielder. He had adjusted the desk lamp to illuminate her along with the rest of the room.

 

“Who are you, and how did you get down here?” he demanded, standing just out of the light’s glow. “Answer me!”

 

Shaking, Sarah straightened herself up, adjusting the hem of her dress. She was about to answer, but then something else came to mind. “You’re working against Zarkon? But aren’t you Galra?”

 

“That is none of your concern. Now answer me. I will not miss a second time.” he threatened, revealing another dagger of similar shape and size.

 

“My name is Sarah, but that doesn’t really help you any, now answer my question.” she said defiantly.

 

His lip curled into a snarl, but he did as she asked. “I am Galra, yes. But not all of us agree with the emperor.”

 

“Really now….” she murmured, a smile spreading across her lips as a million plans came flying through her mind.

 

“I warned you, small one.” he growled, flinging the other dagger at her.

 

Sarah quickly rose her hand in front of her, wincing slightly even though the blade came to a stand still in midair. When she lowered her hand the blade fell to the floor, clanging dully.

 

The Galra stared at her, his pupil-less yellow eyes wide. “But…what….but….you….”

 

Both turned as someone came running down the hall towards them. Shiro swung into the room, taking a defensive stance in front of Sarah. “Are you okay?”

 

“Yea.” She could barely contain her glee. “Yea, listen these guys-”

 

“Champion….” the Galra whispered in awe. “What is a Voltron Paladin doing here of all places?” He looked between the two of them and connected the dots. “You’re the White Witch.”

 

“Yes, I am.” Sarah said patiently before turning back to Shiro. “These Galra are working against Zarkon.” She gently eased him out of his stance into a more relaxed posture. “Do you know what this means?”

 

“Uh….?” Shiro shrugged, lost.

 

“We can have allies on the inside! Behind enemy lines!” She was almost hopping up and down now.

 

The Galra raised an eyebrow, bemused. He tilted the lamp so that he wasn’t enveloped in shadow. “I apologise, White Witch. I thought you were one of the degenerates from above.” He took a few steps forward and bowed his head slightly in greeting. “I am Thace. I took down the force field when you and the others went to retrieve the Princess. It would be an honour to work with Voltron.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this before season 2 came out so...yea....


	64. Alliance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this way before season two came out so....

“That was you?” Shiro asked in disbelief. “But why?” 

 

“Not all Galra think the same. There are those of us who want to end the bloodshed.”

 

“Well that’s new.” Allura said from the doorway; Kayla peered over the Altean’s shoulder, her eyes wide in curiosity. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard of a Galra having such sentiments.”

 

“There have been others in the past. But they rarely convened to discuss their discontent.” Thace said, his eyes narrowing slightly at the Princess’s subtle iciness. 

 

“What changed?”

 

“Zarkon has always kept the Dark Witch close to his ear, but he would still listen to his high officers. Ever since Voltron resurfaced, he has repeatedly ignored all but the Witch. She is the only counsel he calls on. This….disturbs us.” 

 

Sarah raised an eyebrow, sharing a look with Shiro. “Do you have an idea or a theory what they’re up to?” she asked steadily, calmed down from a few moments prior. 

 

“I fear not.” he said solemnly. 

 

“Darn. Well, either way, I think we should work together.” she smiled around at the group, but became confused when only Kayla returned it. “What?”

 

“They don’t trust me.” Thace answered calmly, leaning against the desk. “I do not blame them. I’m quite surprised you have put your trust in me so quickly and easily.”

 

“Oh…” Sarah blinked. “That’s….just how I am. I guess I just….I only really see the best in people.” She shrugged, though her tone was slightly unapologetic. 

 

“Well, we can’t go around inherently trusting everyone we come across. Though I do believe you.” Shiro added, nodding to the Galra. “There’s just some things we would need to work out.” 

 

“And same for us. This was most unprecedented.” 

 

Sarah looked down as her phone buzzed and she slipped it out of her secret pocket. “Krisox is wondering where we are. Damn, how am I getting service down here?”

 

“We have a randomised transmitter.” Thace answered, staring at her phone curiously.

 

“Snazzy.” she commented, impressed. “We really should go back up and fill Krisox in. But first…” She approached the desk, looking for a blank slip of paper and something to write with. Shiro subconsciously trailed after her, as she was right next to Thace. The Galra shifted away from the desk, giving her as wide a berth as he could in the small room. “Aha!” she declared. Sarah quickly wrote down her phone number, trying to make her handwriting as legible as possible, before handing the scrap to Thace. “My phone number.”

 

“Your _personal_ phone number?” Allura gasped.

 

“Well, yea, how else are we to get back in contact? I don’t really like Vaynov and would prefer not to have to make frequent trips here.” 

 

“But…still….” 

 

“How can you know that our correspondence will not be traced?” Thace asked, confused, as he took the scrap from her delicately. 

 

“I have randomised transmitters on my ship and my phone and they’re connected to a network of em. You kind of have to be if you want to track Galra movements on the down low.” Sarah said, beaming proudly, as Thace blinked in awe. 

 

“C’mon, we gotta fill Krisox in.” Kayla said impatiently. 

 

Sarah nodded and followed Allura as she returned to the hall. “Oh, one more thing.” she said, suddenly spinning around. “I don’t like phone calls, so just like….text me or something.” She waved and departed as the Galra stared after her and her party, confused. 

 

“Okay, where is that good for nothing-” Sarah started after they crossed the hidden threshold; she was cut off when her brother joined them from behind.

 

“Aww, is that your new nickname for me?” he asked teasingly. 

 

“I don’t know, I’ll see if it takes.” she said severely, though her slight smile gave her away. “Listen….” 

 

After she disclosed their discovery, he rubbed his hands together, pleased. “I knew I could count on you lot.”

 

“What d’ya mean?” Kayla asked, raising a suspicious eyebrow. 

 

“I figured you guys would find the Galra well enough on your own.” he answered casually.

 

“So you used us?” Allura asked, scandalised. “What was the point of the other delinquents?” 

 

“Just in case. I try to plan for everything, Princess.” Krisox said with a smirk, winking at her. “We can probably go now.” 

 

“Yes, please.” Sarah said eagerly, following her brother as he led the way across the dance floor. 

 

“Krisox!!” a voiced boomed from above them. The party came to a stop, looking up. 

 

“What do you want, Terr?” Krisox asked, exasperated. 

 

“I want your head.” the alien called Terr said savagely as various aliens around the nightclub pulled out weapons. 

 

“Oh, what the fuck.” Krisox grumbled, mildly annoyed. 


	65. Conflict

Shiro pulled Sarah to him, alert and nervous as Krisox just shook his head in mock dismay. “And here I thought we had agreed on a temporary truce and ceasefire.”

 

“It was a ruse. I wanted your guard down. Now, I’ll off you and your friends and that’ll be the end of Nitro.” Terr hissed.

 

“Okay, first off.” Krisox began, casual as ever as if fifty or sixty aliens weren’t directing their weapons at him. “You don’t touch my sister ever. Thought I made that clear long ago.” A few of the aliens surrounding them shifted uncomfortably; Sarah wondered how he made that clear. “Second off, Nitro functions on a hierarchy.”

 

“So?”

 

“So, that means you will never end Nitro as long as one of us still breathes.”

 

“Us?”

 

“Yea, us.” an alien said to their right. Turning, Sarah recognised him as the moss alien she had seen once before.

 

“Avve.” Terr growled. “I should have known.”

 

“Yea, you should’ve.” he said lightly, stretching his thick, mottled arms.

 

“I didn’t rise to the top by being stupid.” Krisox said with his trademark smirk.

 

Sarah watched in awe as Terr’s face crumbled. Aliens all over pulled weapons on those threatening Krisox.

 

“Shiro,” Krisox said, his voice low and quiet. “Get my sisters out of here.”

 

Shiro furrowed his brow in confusion, but nodded, carefully taking Kayla’s hand.

 

“No!” Terr screamed before they could slink off. “This isn’t fair!” Sarah’s eyebrow rose; the alien was throwing a fit like a five year old. He snatched a blaster from his holster and began firing wildly in Krisox’s direction.

 

Everything began moving too fast for Sarah to keep up. Shiro pulled her low, guiding her, Kayla, and Allura away from the fire fight that had just erupted around them. What few innocent bystanders present were running and screaming wildly. A few surged through them, separating the group.

 

“Sarah!” Shiro called as a crowd of frantic bodies pushed them away. Sarah fell, quickly crawling out of the way to avoid being trampled. Everything was so loud. She clamped her hands over her ears, scrunching her eyes closed, hoping it would all die down soon.

 

After what felt like a lifetime, the cacophony faded. Sarah cautiously opened her eyes and looked around; the nightclub was almost completely empty, save for a few scattered bodies. From what she could tell, the fighting had moved to the street. She felt dazed, almost like she was in a dream; it all felt unreal. The sound of a scuffle grounded her.

 

“Let go of me!” she heard Shiro growl fiercely. Thinking quickly, Sarah picked up a small blaster gun from the floor, trying to shove it’s deceased previous owner from her mind. She was surprised her legs weren’t a shaky mess when she stood up and stepped around the column she had sought refuge behind.

 

When she stepped onto the dance floor, the large, grotesque alien tightened his headlock on Shiro. “Don’t even, lil wench, I’ll pop his head.” he growled.

 

“Sarah…jus, go…” Shiro said with difficulty.

 

She still felt slightly dazed, taking a few seconds to process everything. “I’ll do it!” the alien snarled.

 

“I believe you.” she said softly.

 

“My species are like the Galra, only two things stop us.” he said, tightening his grip; this brought her completely back to the present. “Triumph, or-”

 

“Death?” she said, suddenly behind him, firing her weapon at close range. She watched as his body crumpled impassively. Shiro gasping for air and falling to his knees knocked her out of whatever bizarre state she had fallen into.

 

“Shiro?” she asked worriedly, tossing the gun away before she knelt next to him. His eyes were unfocused and wide; she knew what was happening but didn’t know how to help. “Shiro, can you hear me?”

 

It felt like ages but was likely only a few seconds; his flashbacks didn’t seem to last very long but she knew they were terrible. He took a few deep breathes before his eyes found hers. “Yea, I hear you…” he said softly, leaning back against a column and rubbing his temples.

 

“Are you okay?” Sarah whispered, hovering slightly; she knew he probably wasn’t and that she should ask a better question but she couldn’t think of one, her mind felt completely frazzled.

 

“I will be.” he sighed, motioning for her to come to him. She smiled slightly, embracing him as he embraced her.

 

Their passionate but on edge kiss was interrupted when Krisox re-entered the nightclub with Allura and Kayla. “Is this really the time for that?” he asked, exhausted. The couple turned, each blushing slightly. “I was telling these two,” Krisox continued as Sarah pushed herself to her feet and helped Shiro to his. “You’re gonna wanna get going like five minutes ago.”

 

Sarah furrowed her brows, confused. “Why? Are you staying?”

 

“Yea, I have some things to take care of. Terr and his crew have been well, taken care of. But you guys aren’t going to want to be around for the aftermath.” he said warily, looking at Kayla in particular. “I’ll keep in touch.”

 

Sarah nodded as he jogged off. “Well this certainly didn’t go as planned.” Allura said wearily.

 

“True. But we learned there’s a rebel cell within the Galra empire and we survived a turf battle.” Sarah said, ever the one to put a bright spin on things. “So it wasn’t for nothing!”

 

Allura smiled, nodding. “Let’s do as he said and go….I shudder to think what the aftermath will be.”


	66. Entropy

“That’s really coming along nicely.” Sarah called over to Pidge and Hunk, who were hard at work building a Lion. The craft was smaller than the others, but still large enough for a pilot to sit inside. The head was mostly complete, and the skeletal structure gave one a sense of the shape and overall size of the craft.

 

“Sarah, focus.” Niruth said patiently.

 

“Right, sorry.” She was lying on the floor in front of her dragon mentor, notes and books full of ancient runes spread out around her. Kayla was sitting not to far away, taking her own notes. Niruth had consented to taking Kayla on as a sort of semi-pupil; she wasn’t fully invested in White Magic like Sarah was, but wanted to at least get a few basic techniques down and learn how to not exhaust herself.

 

“Hey, so did I miss anything?” Krisox asked as he entered the hanger. It had been a month since they went to Vaynov to investigate the Galra rumours, and Krisox had spent most of that time merging yet another smaller criminal group into his conglomerate. He said he’d only return when he was confident everything was squared away, as he could run things from afar through Avve if things were calm.

 

“Krisox!” Kayla squealed, standing up and running to hug him.

 

“What, no hug?” he teased, as Kayla returned to her position and he joined them.

 

“Wha-? Oh, sorry…” Sarah said absentmindedly. In truth, she was connected to Niruth’s mind-eye.

 

“Do not blame her, we are connected and she is finally focusing.” Niruth said, slightly teasing her pupil.

 

“That sounds like Sarah.” he said, leaning back on his hands. “And Kayla now that I think of it.” He protested when Kayla pinched him, laughing.

 

A few hours later, Niruth dismissed Sarah from her studies for the day, saying she wanted to check on the ever growing entropy in the universe. Sarah departed, grateful; she felt exhausted. It had been an intense day of studying.

 

She went right to her and Shiro’s room. Hunk had brought her food not too long ago, so she wasn’t hungry; just tired. She found Shiro reading to Chi and Tei. He looked up when she entered and smiled; the girls were fast drifting to sleep and didn’t notice. By the time Sarah had readied herself for sleep, both girls were asleep and Shiro was now on his way to sleep. Sarah carefully squeezed herself in, resting her head on Shiro’s chest as his arm wrapped around her. Life was perfect.

Sarah didn’t know what to do. She had never seen her mentor lose her composure before. She hadn’t even thought it possible. But when she checked in after breakfast, she found Niruth sobbing. She had checked the universe’s entropy and found it overwhelming.

 

“Is there anything we can do….?” she asked, stroking the dragon’s head gently.

 

“Not that I can immediately think of….if I only knew what the Galra did with the quintessence they steal…”

 

“Oh!” Sarah exclaimed, snapping her fingers. “We do know! They store it in cylinders and a druid zaps it and it becomes Galra fuel.”

 

“They….store it….?” Niruth repeated, becoming lost in thought.

 

“What is it?”

 

“I may have an idea. But I’ll need your siblings.”

The next two months found Sarah, Kayla, and Krisox spending almost every waking minute with Niruth as she taught them various advanced techniques. The plan was to strike the Universal Hub, as that seemed to be the largest storage facility for quintessence they had come across. While the Paladins formed Voltron and the castle provided cover fire, Sarah, her siblings, and Niruth were going to sneak into where the quintessence was held. Niruth said that, if the siblings could get the stored quintessence moving, she could redistribute it across the cosmos, healing some of the universe of its entropy. Sarah was worried about her mentor venturing out into the vacuum of space, but the dragon quelled her fears easily.

 

“I move myself along by the universe’s natural quintessence flow, and form a bubble of air around myself. I’ve had to venture out into the void before. I know what to do. You need not fret, dear one.”

 

Sarah smiled, nodding; she was still unsure, but believed that all would turn out well and was determined to see it through.

 

“Ready?” Shiro asked as he entered the hanger.

 

“Yep!” she said brightly, giving him a small kiss before joining her siblings in Krisox’s small craft.

 

“Everyone connected?” Allura’s voice said over comms. Everyone chimed in, confirming the connection. “Alright. Let’s go!”


	67. Loss

“Okay, target engaged.” Shiro’s voice said over the comms. A few distant explosions confirmed this, and Sarah carefully navigated Darling around the other side of the small celestial body. As she settled her craft gently on the surface, Allura informed them that the majority of the Galra forces were drawn their way, and the small witch party and Niruth should go in now.

 

“C’mon.” Sarah said over her shoulder as her and her siblings ran across the rock.

 

“Whoa…” Kayla and Krisox said together when they got to the edge; the entire base, Voltron, and the castle were in view. Sarah’s siblings had never seen Voltron formed and in action. Unfortunately, now was not the time to stare in awe at a legendary god-like robot.

 

“Keep going.” Niruth said from behind them. “I can somewhat hide my presence but it is not very strong. Let us make haste.” The white dragon flew over them, drifting down the cliff to the facility.

 

Sarah jumped, easing her descent with her jetpack. The group landed right in front of the large door Keith had described. Niruth had already opened the door and was proceeding inside when the siblings landed. They followed quickly, losing their balance on occasion when an explosion rocked the facility.

 

Inside was a wide hallway, which opened up into a massive chamber filled with a glowing, golden liquid in large capsules. “Disgusting.” Niruth murmured, hovering above the pit in the center. “These druids are truly horrible.” She sighed and landed on a crane of some sort that was positioned over the pit. “Space yourselves out around the perimeter. When I give the cue, begin.”

 

The three did as they were instructed. When they were well spread around her, Niruth gave them their cue and they began. Though explosions still rocked the outside, their shockwaves seemed to dissipate before they reached them, for which Sarah was thankful; one major false step and they very well would have to start over.

 

As they continued with their movements-it was almost like a dance, really-the bottommost capsules began to drain, their contents floating to the dragon in the center. After they completely emptied the bottom row, Niruth rose into the air. “Keep at it, I’m going to go above.” She flew up to the top of the dome and blasted a hole, forcing the resulting debris out with her. Sarah noticed the ceiling seemed to be made of weak materials and looked almost like a patchwork quilt; that’s right. Keith said Pidge barged in to get him. she thought. “Focus, Sarah.” Yes ma’am. she thought sheepishly.

 

Soon the air was full of gold, glittering life energy. “Your doing great.” Niruth said as they finished off the second level.

 

“Sarah, status update?” Allura asked over comms.

 

“We’re about at the halfway mark.” Sarah answered.

 

“They’re making excellent progress.” Niruth said; she sounded relieved, as though she wasn’t completely sure if it would work or not. “As I disperse quintessence, it should create a current that draws the rest out. The last half should take-augh!”

 

“Niruth?!” Sarah and Allura said together, alarmed.

 

“It’s a druid. Sarah, do not stop.”

 

“But-”

 

“That’s an order. Do. Not. Stop.”

 

Sarah faltered only slightly; she was able to recover quickly, trying not to think of the battle her mentor was waging above them. She winced every time the dragon took a blow, desperately wanting to fly up and help her.

 

They finished the third row and were just beginning the fourth when Niruth let out a pained gasp. Sarah quickly looked up, her eyes searching for the dragon. All she could see was the druid staring down at them; the creature jumped, ghosting down.

 

“We gotta move, Kayla, Krisox, MOVE!” Sarah yelled as the druid began to attack. She managed to deflect a few of the energy bolts as she and her siblings gathered in the wide hall. When they regrouped they set off for the still open door, trying to ignore the druid behind them throwing a furious fit as they destroyed the chamber. As they neared their escape, the door began to close, slow and mechanical. Using their jetpacks to give them a boost of speed, they barely crossed the threshold before the doors closed. Krisox climbed his arm, grumbling in mild pain. Kayla attended to him, but Sarah was flying up to find Niruth.

 

When she reached the top of the cliff face, she found her mentor huddled against a rock formation, severely wounded and bleeding. “Niruth!” she cried, landing a few feet away and running the rest of the way. The dragon was breathing but unresponsive. “Niruth, please…” she cried, falling to her hands and knees.

 

A crackling in the air announced the presence of the druid. Sarah turned and rose to her feet. A ball of energy grew in their hand, lightning crackling around it. “You don’t scare me…” she said, her voice low and deadly. She formed her own, white orbs. But when she clenched her fists they became plasma daggers, glowing white hot, their edges jagged. She warped over to the druid without hesitating, startling them; they blocked her first stab attempt with a barrier, but she cut through it. The two danced across the rocky landscape as Sarah tried to cut them to pieces and they dodged or blocked her attempts. A few times it tried to teleport away, but she was too fast, also right on their heel. Sarah was driven by fury and hatred, pushing herself to her limits without even noticing.

 

Her window of opportunity came when the druid stumbled. She sliced right through their block, relieving them of their arms. The creature staggered backwards; Sarah felt fear and anger radiate off them. Distantly she heard the others as they tried to reach her, but she ignored them. She watched as anger overtook the druid’s fear. They screeched and charged at her. She smirked, bring her right arm chest level and then flinging it and the plasma dagger at the being; it pierced its mask, cutting cleanly through. They crumpled, turning to a pile of ash and cloth.

 

She could tell her body and mind were protesting loudly, but ignored them to the best of her ability. Turning, she ran back to Niruth. Kayla and Krisox were there, comforting the dying dragon. Sarah fell to her knees, partially from exhaustion, partially from the mounting dread inside her. “Niruth…” she sobbed.

 

The dragon opened its eyes, gazing at her pupil. “This is not the end, dear. We are not finished….” She paused, taking a painful, ragged breath. “Find me in….the…li….” Niruth exhaled and was gone. Sarah dissolved into sobs, leaning into Krisox as he held her.

 

“W-what did she mean….find me in the what?” Kayla asked, shaking from crying.

 

“I don’t know.” Sarah said, shaking her head. “I don’t….” Her gaze trailed off into the distance as Voltron broke up into the lions, mission accomplished. When it hit her, she gasped loudly. “Let’s get back to the castle!”


	68. The White Lion

“Sarah, what happened?” Shiro asked after she parked Darling. She was out before the hatch had fully opened, half running to the hanger that Pidge and Hunk had been working in. Shiro had no trouble keeping up, concern etched in his face.

 

“Niruth, she…she…” Krisox started, panting slightly as he finally caught up to them. “She fought a druid and…she didn’t make it.”

 

“She’s not dead.” Sarah said fiercely, flat out running now. She’s not, she’s not, she’s not…..

 

When she reached the hanger she sprinted over to the work in progress lion, falling to her knees panting when she reached it; she was exhausted, she had pushed herself too far, but she just had to make sure….

 

“Niruth…?” she asked, her voice shaky.

 

“Wha-? Is she in the lion?” Shiro asked in disbelief when he and her brother reached them.

 

“I think-maybe?” Krisox said uncertainly, hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath.

 

“Niruth….” Sarah murmured, reaching out to touch the mechanical cat’s snout. When she did, the craft’s eyes lit up and it huffed, but otherwise did not-could not-move. Sarah heard murmurings in her head, ideas that were not hers floated gracefully through her mind. She started crying again, leaning her head against the cool metal. “She says….” Sarah began, her voice thick with emotion. “she is to be called White now….it’s a Lion tradition.”

 

“She’s really…” Krisox whispered in awe.

 

Shiro knelt down next to her, one arm gently rubbing her back while he took her hand with the other. She could tell he didn’t know what to say; what could one say in such a situation? Nobody could have predicted this turn of events.

 

Shiro jumped slightly, his gaze meeting the White Lion’s in confusion. “Uh-Sarah? She says you-whoa!” She collapsed suddenly against him as her exhaustion caught up with her.

 

“What’s happening?” Krisox asked, on edge.

 

“She’s exhausted, she pushed herself too far.” She felt herself being picked up, and more things were said, but by then she had drifted off.

Sarah didn’t open her eyes immediately when she next woke. She was comfortable and in Shiro’s arms and he was still sleeping; she wanted to stay like this for as long as she could. His soft breathing was beautiful music to her ears. After a moment, she just barely opened her eyes, peeking at his slumbering face. He was so goddamn precious she was afraid she would wake him up with her signature giggles. She had to shove her fist in her mouth to stop herself, but she couldn’t stop her body shaking with the suppressed laughter.

 

“What are you giggling at…” he asked groggily, stretching before opening his eyes. He smiled gently as he brushed a lock of hair behind her ear.

 

“You were really precious, sleeping.” she said, blushing furiously.

 

“Oh?” he laughed; his laughter was the most pure and good thing in the universe in her opinion. He stared adoringly into her eyes and they just laid there for a while. In a very short period of time her world had been turned upside down. She became a mother, lost her mentor, and almost lost her fiance…In the back of her mind, she registered that something was still off. She couldn’t place it, but it was a small, dark gut feeling that wouldn’t go away. She tried to shove it out of the way for now. So much had changed, so much was happening….Sarah just wanted to lay here with Shiro forever and ever. But nothing lasts forever.


	69. The Worst Nightmare

“Girls only? Awwww.” Lance whined. “Why can’t I join the sleepover?”

 

“Cause you’d probably make inappropriate comments throughout.” Sarah said, sticking her tongue out at him. 

 

“I promise I won’t.” he pouted. Keith smacked the back of his head playfully. “Hey…” Lance complained, rubbing the spot, though he couldn’t hide his smile. 

 

“Sorry mate, just me, Allura, Kayla, and Pidgey if they feel like it-”

 

“Pass.” Pidge said from across the room.

 

“Well, if you change your mind ever you can join us.” Sarah continued, undeterred. She turned her attention to Shiro, embracing him. “I’ll stay with you if you want me to.” she said quietly, watching him carefully. She knew his nightmares and flashbacks had been getting worse lately and was willing to drop everything to stay by his side if he asked. 

 

“No, you have your fun.” he said, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. They shared a gentle kiss before Sarah was dragged away to Allura’s bedroom. 

 

The girls had decided to have a fun night, as a relief from everything that happened recently. Sarah and Allura pooled their nail polish collections in the middle of the latters bed, and they spent a good hour trying to decide which colour combinations each of the three should go with. After that choice was made, Kayla shared childhood stories from Earth and then Stiea K2, much to the Altean’s enjoyment. They ended up going back and forth, reveling in what few shared experiences they had; love of all creatures, being health-conscious, an affinity for plush toys. After Kayla drifted off, Sarah and Allura turned wartime strategy. Though the war weighed heavily on their minds, Sarah loved discussing very strategies and hypothetical scenarios, and loved it even more if she had someone to talk to about them. Krisox had finally gotten an answer back to them a week ago about whether his organisation would join them in the fight against Zarkon; most members had whole-heartedly signed up. This made Sarah feel a little better about her endgame plan. It wasn’t long before they, too, succumbed to sleep.

* * *

“At the end of the day, I’ll always come back to you.” he had said. So confident and sure. When he had his arms around her, all her fears melted away. She thought it would last forever.  But nothing lasts forever. 

Allura was sobbing at the castle’s main controls. She had fallen to the floor a long time ago, when Keith first broke the news. Now the Paladins had joined her, each in various states of grief. All the Paladins except one. The most important one.

Sarah wasn’t sure when she had sunk to the floor. All she knew was that her legs felt weak, unable to hold her. Pidge had come over at some point and was hugging her, but Sarah was barely aware of her present environment. 

Everything was surreal. She felt hollow and devoid of feeling, awkwardly patting Pidge on the back as they sobbed into her shoulder. The small Paladin was saying something, but it sounded muffled and distant. Sarah couldn’t make it out. She felt something slide down her face and realised she was crying. _How long have I been crying?  
_

“Sarah?” a voice asked, thick with tears and emotions. Sarah’s wide, distant eyes found Allura who was kneeling next to her now. “Are you….are you o-okay?”

Sarah found herself staring at her hands, trying to process the question but for some reason she had difficulty. Was she okay? “I-I….I don’t know….” she whispered after a moment. Allura broke down again, wrapping her arms tightly around both Sarah and Pidge. It was then that Sarah realised she had been avoiding thinking about the subject. Almost as if to protect herself, her mind had made a shield of hollow feelings, devoid of emotion. It was easier than coming to terms with the truth.

As soon as she let herself replay the events leading up, she found she was unable to keep herself together. Tears burst forth, and suddenly she was sobbing into Allura’s shoulder, loud sobs and cries of “why?” that echoed throughout the ship. 

Shiro had always promised he’d come back to her. But he had lied.

* * *

Sarah woke with a start, her heart racing. After getting a sense of her surroundings, she able to recall where she was; she was in Allura’s bed, Kayla at the end; they had thrown a small slumber party to lighten the mood slightly. Sarah carefully eased out of the bed, so as to not wake up Allura, and tiptoed out of the Altean’s bedroom. As soon as she reached the hall, she was running. 

 

It wasn’t a prophetic nightmare, she knew that for sure. She still remembered vividly how real that had felt. This was just a nightmare. But, she still found herself needing to see him, hold him, hear him breathing, feel his heartbeat. 

 

She slowed down when she reached their room; she didn’t want to wake him up. The door automatically opened with a soft _shzzng_ and she peeked inside. He had a desk light on, providing comfortable dim lighting for him to read by. 

 

“Hey…” he said, looking up when she entered. “Something up?” Wordlessly, she walked over to him and climbed into his lap, snuggling close. “What’s wrong?” he asked softly, his arms wrapping around her gently. 

 

“I had a nightmare…” she mumbled, somewhat embarrassed; to her ears, she sounded five. 

 

“You wanna talk about it?” Shiro asked, stroking her hair. 

 

She bit her lip, hesitating; she didn’t want to think about it. But she thought it would be wise. “You….died….” she whispered. His arms tensed slightly, holding her tighter. 

 

“It was just a nightmare….uh, right?” he said, suddenly wary.

 

“Yea, this was just a n-nightmare. Not prophetic.” she murmured, relaxing in his arms. “Why aren’t you asleep? It’s really late….” she asked sleepily, beginning to drift off. 

 

“I….I had a nightmare too…” he said softly, still rather tense. 

 

She frowned. “I’ll fight your nightmares now. No more nightmares.”

 

He chuckled, and relaxed slightly. “And I’ll fight yours.” 


	70. Turn Against

“Are you _sure_?” Allura asked Pidge for about the hundredth time. 

 

“Well I can’t be sure if they’re still there, that’s just the most recent place they were.” Pidge said irritably. They had managed to decode more of the information they had obtained from Sendak, and some of that consisted of prisoner information for a work camp that coincidentally wasn’t too far from where the castle was now. “It’s worth a shot, and we’re close. Even if no one else goes, I’m going.”

 

Allura shared an exasperated look with Shiro. The prison work camp was the largest facility they had come across, with the exception of Zarkon’s central command. They weren’t sure how to find two prisoners in what could but thousands. But they knew better than brush off Pidge’s words; they fully believed the Green Paladin would go by themselves and nothing would stop them. 

 

“We’ll go with you. Let’s throw together a plan first, so we don’t go in blind.” Shiro said, nodding reassuringly. Pidge still looked annoyed, but conceded; having a plan would be wise. 

* * *

Coran had managed to pull up a scan of the facility’s exterior. It was on a barren planet covered in smog, not unlike Vaynov. It was decided that the castle would stay out of range, and they would fly over in their lions. 

 

Pidge and Hunk had finished building the White Lion quickly after the events at the universal hub. She was smaller than the other Lions, but otherwise perfectly identical. Sarah had insisted on adding pink and lavender accents on her exterior, and White didn’t seem to mind; throughout painting, Sarah talked almost nonstop, rambling from one subject to the next fluidly. Shiro had guided her in a few training drills, as White and Sarah adjusted to the new dynamic they found themselves in. She wasn’t an excellent pilot, and there were a laundry list of techniques to learn, but she was pleased with her progress. She noted that Shiro didn’t seem so sure; he seemed to be more on edge and anxious with each passing day, and barely anything she did seemed to help. Her having and actively flying a Lion did not help matters. 

 

Allura and Oli rode as passengers with Sarah, so Allura could give the latter some on the fly tips and guidance. Kayla and Krisox grumpily agreed to stay behind with Coran, which eased Sarah’s mind somewhat; she didn’t want her siblings to have to get anymore involved than they already were. She felt like she was dragging them into this war, and she wanted to spare them. 

 

When they reached the planet, the six Lions landed a good distance from the complex so as to plan their next move. They had a few ideas in mind.

 

“So do we want to split up and attack at different angles or what?” Keith asked impatiently. 

 

“I don’t care, i just want to get moving.” Pidge said irritably. 

 

“Let’s do that but pick a location inside so we can regroup.” Shiro said firmly. “Sarah stay behind me. Hunk, Lance, veer left and go in over that way. Pidge, Keith, follow me.” 

 

The lions took off and parted as instructed. The outer defense turrets were quick to target them and soon they were twisting and looping as the avoided the enemy fire raining down upon them. When he was close enough, Keith wasted no time in blasting the turrets close to them, causing them to explode and providing them with an opening. 

 

The four lions set down in a wide open space between the outermost walls and the interior complex. Pidge clawed open one of the walls and they disembarked, running inside. Distant explosions told them that Lance and Hunk were making good progress. The sentries that ran up to meet them were no match for them and barely slowed the party down. 

 

Soon after they entered the large, central mess hall, Hunk and Lance entered from the far side. They grouped in the middle to discuss their next course of action. 

 

“I can probably find a computer panel and extract prisoner information from there, don’t think it’ll be hard. I already found one.” Pidge said, typing a few things into the small, portable laptop they had installed on their armour. 

 

“Let’s stay together, at least for now.” Shiro said, trailing after Pidge who had already started for one of the doors; the others weren’t far behind. 

 

A sudden wave of dark energy swept over her; Sarah stopped in her tracks, frightened and her vision blurred, trying to pinpoint the source. Haggar was close, she had to be…

 

“Shiro?” she heard Pidge ask, concerned. Sarah looked around as her vision returned to normal. Shiro was clutching his head as if he was suffering a concussion. But something was very very wrong. The dark energy was pooling around him and he began to shake, crying out in pain. She pushed her way past Allura and Oli, carefully approaching him. His body seemed to absorb the darkness, and after a strangled cry he stopped shaking and stood up straight. “Shiro…?” Pidge asked again, wary this time. Sarah couldn’t see his face but knew by the small Paladin’s expression that they weren’t dealing with Shiro at the moment. 


	71. Possessed

Shiro activated his arm, going to attack Pidge, but Sarah moved quickly, throwing up a barrier that deflected him, causing him to fly across the room.

 

“Sarah, what the hell?” Keith asked angrily as Oli and Hunk ran over to Pidge who had fallen backwards. He pulled her by the shoulder roughly to face him as Allura and Lance approached Shiro. “What was that?”

 

“He’s not Shiro right now.” she said, shaking herself out of his group. 

 

“What do you mean he’s…not….” Keith’s voice faltered. Shiro had pushed himself to his feet, but his eyes were yellow and pupil-less, his expression mimicking Haggar’s. 

 

Shiro charged at Lance, who was closest. Allura ran, colliding with Shiro just before his arm could reach the Blue Paladin. “Sarah, what’s happening?!” the Princess yelled frantically, backing away.

 

“He’s possessed. Haggar primed him somehow, she’s controlling his actions.” Sarah answered, monotone as she tried to think back on her studies for anything on possession. Her eyes widened when White’s thoughts reached her, giving her the information she needed. “Allura, I need you to get everyone out.”

 

“What?! I’m not leaving you-” the Altean protested.

 

“Just _DO IT._ ” Sarah instructed fiercely, as she began manipulating the flow of quintessence as White instructed. Allura was taken aback, as Sarah rarely yelled at anyone like that, let alone her. But she nodded, and pulled Lance away with her.

 

“Everyone get back to your lions.” she commanded. “ _NOW._ ” The others wanted to protest, but must have come to the conclusion that there wasn’t anything they could do and so followed the orders they were given. 

 

“But-my fam-” Pidge began weakly. 

 

“We can’t right now, Pidge, I’m sorry.” Allura was on edge, so the small Paladin complied. “I’m going to come back!” she shouted to Sarah, whose eyes were focused solely on Shiro. 

 

He rose to his feet and cackled just like the witch. “You won’t kill anymore of my druids.” he said, his voice warped. “I’m going to make sure of that.”

 

“I do as I please, witch. “ she growled as they circled each other. “Now I’m gonna have to ask you to leave.” 

 

“Can’t do that, White Witch. This will end in one of two ways.” he stopped, powering up his arm. “Either he dies, or you do.” 

* * *

He wasn’t sure what happened. One moment he was following Pidge, the next he was being consumed by darkness. He was reminded of the darkness Haggar had surrounded him with when they went to rescue Allura. But it couldn’t be the same, could it? Haggar couldn’t be there, of all places, of all times….

 

But how else was he supposed to explain the darkness? He felt like he was almost suffocating; it enveloped him so completely, and he couldn’t see or hear or feel anything at all. Where was he? He couldn’t remember how he got to the darkness. Had he always been consumed by it? He couldn’t remember what it was like before, or even if there was a before. It felt like he was trapped in the thick, all-consuming darkness. It was all he knew, all he remembered, all he could think of. 

* * *

“C’mon White, I could use a bit more of a plan….” Sarah grumbled, as she teleported around. Her Lion had told her to wear him out; if he was weakened, they had a better chance to drive out the witch. But White hadn’t told her _how_ to drive out the witch. She delivered blows she knew he could recover from, though she didn’t expect him to recover in seconds; she got the sense Haggar wasn’t feeling whatever pain was inflicted on his body, and was willing to use him until he dropped dead. 

 

Sarah noticed her reaction time faltered slightly and realised she was wearing _herself_ out faster than him. And considering Haggar was in control and unaware of his exhaustion, she knew the odds were not in her favour if she kept it up. She wasn’t a match for his strength or speed or dexterity; all she had was magic. And she was running low on that. 

 

“Any day, now!” she hissed, just barely ducking in time to avoid his blazing purple appendage. She rolled away, smoothly transitioning to a run, hoping to get a good amount of distance between them. In no time he was chasing her, catching up quickly. 

 

“C’mon, White Witch! You aren’t putting up much of a fight!” he cackled. 

 

“Goading doesn’t work on me, sweetheart.” Sarah yelled over her shoulder before teleporting to the opposite end of the mess hall. She was panting now; she needed to end it now somehow. “White, please!” she cried. Suddenly, a vision of sorts played in her mind’s eye; it was a special technique White was showing her. “Worth a shot.” she murmured. [She brought her arms up, forming a wide arc, clasping her hands for a brief second](http://67.media.tumblr.com/d6219c51395abb742e1cb36f91f6d9a2/tumblr_n7sj3agvnM1qfs9zoo9_400.gif), before drawing them down. In a bright flash of light, a golden arrow formed. Shiro was almost upon her again and [she aimed quickly, releasing a blinding light arrow.](http://67.media.tumblr.com/93ebf0243d2497a25e9ca2b0d06b5d8f/tumblr_n9sflvZeml1qfs9zoo6_400.gif) 

* * *

A bright flash of light drove away the darkness he had been enveloped in. Suddenly, Shiro could feel his body, move it of his own volition. As the light faded, the world around him came into focus. He was so confused; where was he? He had no memory of how he got there or what he was doing. A weak intake of air drew his eyes downward.

 

Sarah was there in front of him, but something was wrong, something was very wrong. She started to fall and he wasted no time in catching her. That’s when he realised what had hurt her; his Galra hand was embedded in her side. He quickly pulled it out, staring at her blood on his fingers in horror. He fell to his knees, holding her with his human hand, unable to look away from his Galra appendage.

 

A door opened somewhere in front of him. Shakily, he looked around and saw Allura running over. “Allura!!” he cried, his voice cracking. He felt tears streaming down his face but it barely registered. Sarah was wounded severely, possibly dying, and it was his fault. “Help me….please…..” he sobbed.

 

Allura gasped when she got close, her hands jumping to her mouth in horror. She somehow managed to recover quickly, though her hands were shaking as she knelt down next to them.

 

“P-please…” he pleaded with her. “I-I….I don’t…..what have I done….”

 

Allura didn’t answer, her eyes glued to his hand, her face pale and frightened.

 

“Shiro!” Keith’s voice called out.

 

This seemed to snap Allura out of her trance; she looked down to the unconscious Sarah and gently began pulling her away into her arms. Away from him. He was dangerous. He did this to Sarah. “I’m going to get her into a pod.” Allura said, slightly frantic, when Keith reached them.

 

The Red Paladin looked between Sarah’s grievous wound and Shiro’s still bloody hand and his face drained of colour. He knelt down next to Shiro, gently resting his hand on the Black Paladin’s shoulder. He realised he was shaking from his sobs, and his vision had become blurred from tears. “What did I do….”

“H-hey, it….it wasn’t you. It wasn’t you. It was…it must’ve been Haggar and the druids, they….Sarah knew that, she knows that….” Keith’s voice became shaky, accidentally using the past tense, as if she was already….He couldn’t bring himself to finish the thought. “C’mon, we gotta go, we need to get out of here…”

 

Keith almost had to drag Shiro to his feet, towing him along as the Red Paladin ran. Shiro didn’t see any point. He deserved to be left behind. He wasn’t worth saving. He couldn’t hear what Keith was saying, until he mentioned Sarah’s name.

 

“Look, she’s not gone, Allura’s getting Sarah to a pod, now come on, man….don’t you want to be there when she wakes up?”

 

Keith seemed so confident she would be okay…Shiro wanted to believe it, and he wanted to make sure she did make it; he resolved to watch over her and wait until she woke, then leave her’s and everyone else’s life forever. He didn’t deserve their friendship, he didn’t deserve to be a Voltron Paladin, and he didn’t deserve her love.


	72. After

She knew when it happened. She was connected with her sister in an indescribable way. They had been since their parents first started teaching them White Magic. Krisox didn’t pick up on it until she felt dread pool in her stomach. Moments later, Allura was yelling frantically through the comms, giving Coran instructions. He wasted not time in obliging, and Kayla and Krisox followed him to the cryopod room. They didn’t know of what use they could be, but they knew this was the room they needed to be in. Kayla knew she wasn’t gone; she didn’t want to imagine what that felt like, but she would be able to tell. Krisox was on edge as they waited for them to return, wringing his hands anxiously. 

 

The two only knew that the party had returned when Allura came rushing in, holding an unconscious Sarah in her arms. Coran opened the pod and helped her ease Sarah into it. After she closed it, Allura went through the settings, double checking them as her hands shook. Kayla joined the Altean, looking at her sister; she looked so peaceful, like she was sleeping. “How long….?” she barely whispered.

 

“I…I’m not sure.” Allura answered, still frantic. 

 

“You absolute _BASTARD_!” she heard Krisox scream in rage. Looking around she didn’t see him, but she heard Keith’s voice addressing him from the hall. Jogging out, she found Shiro on the floor, sobbing, while Keith was holding Krisox off. 

 

“Krisox, _STOP._ ” she commanded angrily. 

 

He turned to her, still angry. “He _did that to her!_ ”  he said, his voice cracking slightly. 

 

“I told you, he was possessed by the Dark Witch, do you think he would intention-intentionally do…that…?” Keith said, fiercely at first but his voice faltered. 

 

“Well…if she wasn’t with him, she wouldn’t be mixed up in all this in the first place! She’d be-”

 

“KRISOX, ENOUGH.” Kayla shouted, her voice echoing through the castle. Her brother froze, shocked; Kayla typically wasn’t one for anger. “Everyone here was either dragged into this war or forced into it; one way or another, none of us had a choice. Except,” she took a deep breath before continuing. “Except for Sarah.”

 

“What…what do you mean?” Krisox asked, calmer as he was more confused than angry.

 

“I mean she chose to be an active participant in this war. She could have just….not. And then yea, maybe later she’d be taken prisoner like we were at home. But she joined willingly before it came to that.”

 

“I still don’t…what am I missing?” her brother asked, getting irritated. 

 

“Why do you think she left home?” she asked, smiling sadly. “She joined an online community that tracked Galra movements. And, more importantly, Zarkon himself. She didn’t want anything to be traced home, so….she left.”

 

“Why would she do that?”

 

“Besides curiosity, you mean?” Kayla asked, somewhat sarcastically; Krisox rolled his eyes. “She was also tracking dead planets. There have been a rise in them recently, planets that have mysteriously had the life sucked from them.”

 

“Hey, yea, she showed us a map once.” Pidge said; Kayla almost jumped as she hadn’t noticed the small Paladin. “It traced Zarkon’s estimated movements and put it with pin points marking confirmed dead planets.” 

 

“What the hell does this have to do with anything?” Krisox asked, getting angry again. 

 

“Krisox,” Kayla said slowly and seriously. “Zarkon has been draining entire planets of quintessence. We don’t know how. But without Sarah and the others, we wouldn’t know. We may not know the full scope of Zarkon’s power, but we can get a better idea thanks to them.”

 

“An entire planet….?” Krisox whispered, horrified. “How??”

 

“We don’t know.” Keith said tentatively. 

 

The group stood in a contemplative silence for a few moments; the only sounds were Shiro’s soft sobs. 

 

“Just….” Kayla started, breaking Krisox out of his reprieve. “Just don’t get mad at Shiro, okay?” she said softly, hugging her brother. “I don’t think you’ve seen just how much she loves him.”

 

“I’ve seen it, I know it.” he sighed, kissing his little sister’s head. “That’s why it scares me so much…that kind of love can totally destroy a person.”

 

“Or it can build them up and help them take down empires.” 

 

“You seriously think she could take on the entire Galra empire?” he asked skeptically. 

 

Kayla pulled away, observing him shrewdly. “You _don’t?_ ”


	73. Guilt

He didn’t sleep over the following few nights. Or what he thought were a few nights; he lost all sense of time. He never left her side. Shiro was determined to make sure she came out completely healed. When he was certain of that, then he would leave. He was dangerous, a Galra weapon that could go off at any moment. It wasn’t safe for anyone to be around him, and he longed to go, to distance himself and save his loved ones from further harm. But he couldn’t live not knowing whether or not Sarah survived his attack. 

 

Kayla and Krisox rarely left, sleeping against their sister’s pod. Shiro intentionally stayed on the other side of the room from them. Occasionally he would glance over and see Kayla crying and the guilt in his stomach doubled. He really was a monster. Krisox was right to be so protective. 

 

Allura, Coran, and Hunk visited at meal times almost like clockwork. At first he noticed Allura was wary of him, as if she was afraid he might go off on someone else; he didn’t blame her. Shiro would tense when Hunk delivered food, afraid of getting to close to anyone. For the first two days, or what he assumed were two days, he didn’t eat anything. It didn’t take long for him to feel hunger pains, but he ignored them; he saw them as part of his punishment for almost killing the love of his life, his universe, his everything….He had almost lost her forever and it was his fault. 

 

On approximately the third day, Keith accompanied Hunk in delivering a plate of food. Again, Shiro turned it down, but Keith sat next to him and insisted. 

 

“What good is it to starve yourself?” he asked angrily. “You’re making yourself suffer for no reason, I told you, it was Haggar. We all know that, Sarah knows it-Shiro,” He looked up as Keith’s voice became soft. “What’s it going to take to convince you this isn’t your doing?”

 

Shiro felt his eyes begin to water and looked away. Keith sighed wearily, but didn’t leave. “At least eat something.” he grumbled, shoving the plate towards him. Shiro stared at the plate for a long time, trying to make up his mind; it would do no good for him to die of starvation, at least not in Sarah’s presence. He saw a hint of a smirk on Keith’s face as he tentatively began to eat.

 

“She should be ready to leave the pod tonight.” Allura said, relieved, the next day. 

 

“She’ll be okay?” Kayla asked, rising to her feet. 

 

“Yes. She might have to rest outside the pod for a while, but yes, she’s going to be okay.” The Altean was almost knocked off her feet when Kayla jumped into hugging her. The girls laughed and cried; it was almost as if a heavy burden had been lifted. But not for him; his guilt remained. 

 

“See? She’s gonna be fine.” Keith said, sitting next to him. “You don’t have to feel guilty anymore, man.” Shiro nodded, but inwardly, he disagreed. 

 

He was so so _so_ relieved she was going to be okay. Still, he didn’t want to leave until he saw her conscious and moving and laughing….he would miss her laugh. He smiled as he fondly remembered all her different laughs. She had one for every situation, and each was different and beautiful. 

 

The room was particularly crowded that day. Oliver and Allura were chatting animatedly; Lance challenged Krisox to arm wrestles and consistently lost; Pidge had hooked their laptop to Sarah’s pod and was monitoring her vitals in real time; Kayla and Hunk were discussing various recipes to try and make. Keith seemed determined to not leave Shiro alone for even a second; he got the sense the Red Paladin knew what he was planning. It didn’t matter, nothing was going to stop him. He was leaving to protect his loved ones. Their safety mattered more than him. 

 

When the time came, he felt his gut clench in apprehension. He was afraid he wouldn’t be able to help himself and would rush over to hold her in his arms. When it opened, Allura was immediately there, helping her friend out. He watched afar as she was escorted to Allura’s room, already cracking jokes and teasing the others. He smiled sadly; he would miss that, too. 

 

Fighting back tears, he walked to the room they had shared, and set about packing his few belongings. Luckily the kids were in Allura’s room; the Princess had let them stay there for the time being, as they hadn’t wanted to sleep alone for the past several days. 

 

It wasn’t long before he was in the hanger, get one of the small pods ready. He didn’t hear Keith enter and visibly jumped when the Paladin spoke. 

 

“She’s asking for you, you know.” he said, a hint of anger in his tone. He glared at Shiro for a long time, his arms crossed over his chest. “You’re being incredibly stupid, you know that?”

 

“No…” Shiro said, his voice slightly hoarse; he had barely spoken a word since Sarah went in the pod. “I’m dangerous. It’s safer if I left.”

 

“That’s bullshit and you know it.” Keith countered viciously. “It wasn’t you, Shiro. It was Haggar. You are playing right into her hands, blaming yourself and running away. She wants to weaken us, and especially, Sarah.” Shiro looked away as tears began rolling down his cheek. “Did you think about what you leaving would do to her? Don’t you want her to be happy?!”

 

“Of course I want her to be happy…” Shiro said softly, his voice cracking slightly. 

 

“Then c’mon already, she wants to see you.” Keith said, grabbing Shiro’s hand and pulling him. 

 

Truth be told, he was afraid. He was afraid to be in the same room as her and the others. Frightening thoughts of his arm glowing and him attacking the others flashed in his mind and it took all he could to not violently pull away from Keith and leave. 

 

When they reached Allura’s room, they found only the Princess and Sarah, chatting conspiratorially; the two were thick as thieves. Keith knocked on the wall to announce their presence; Sarah looked around and her face lit up beautifully and all he wanted to do was break down and beg for her forgiveness. 

 

“We’ll pick this up later.” Allura said, rising off the bed. She paused when she reached Shiro, as if she was deciding something. He was startled when she hugged him, and wasn’t sure if he should return it but before he could react she had let go. “I’ve missed you, Shiro.” 

 

“We all have, man.” Keith said, patting him on the shoulder. Shiro felt at a loss for what to say; miss him? He hadn’t gone anywhere….

 

After they left, Sarah held out her hands, wanting him to come to her. He hesitated, but decided to just kneel by the bed’s edge. “Your hands, Shiro.” she said patiently. 

 

“I-I…I don’t…” he stuttered, unsure of how or what to say. 

 

“You aren’t going to hurt me.” she said confidently. He looked into her beaming face and completely broke down.

 

“I’m so sorry!” he sobbed, burying his face in his hands. “I’m so sorry…” 

 

She gently took his hands in hers, moving them from his face, before framing his face with her soft hands, he had forgotten how soft and beautiful she was…”It wasn’t you, Shiro. I think, somewhere, you know this.It was that witch. You wanna know what she said?” She paused, stroking his cheek. “She said 'either he dies, or you do.’ And you know what happened? _We both survived._ ”

 

“B-but…you almost…I could have…” he began; she cut him off with a finger to his lips. 

 

“You want to know something curious Kayla pointed out?” she said as if she were sharing an interesting fact she had found online. “Almost all of my vital organs were completely untouched.” He frowned, confused; where was she going with this? “The witch was very precise in her attacks. There’s no way she would have missed her mark.” Her eyes twinkled as if she had found one of the universe’s secrets. “Do you know what that implies?”

 

“No…?” he said, his voice shaky from crying. 

 

“Even when you were possessed, there was a little bit of _you_ present. And _you_ could never mortally harm me. _You_ caused her to miss. _You_ saved my life.” 

 

His eyes were wide in disbelief. “What?” he murmured. “But-I hurt…”

 

“It could have been a lot worse, Shiro.” she said grimly. 

 

His gaze moved to his hands; had he really….? “But…still, what if she-she does it again?” he asked, looking back into Sarah’s enchanting eyes. 

 

“Oh, I wouldn’t worry about that.” she said airily. “That spell I hit you with destroys dark magic. _And_ protects against it.” She playfully tapped his nose. “Ha, I can totally picture her face, she just throws a tantrum like a five year old.” In spite of everything, he laughed. And she laughed with him. 

 

Shiro and Sarah spent the rest of the day together, Shiro resting his head on her chest and snuggling close with Sarah stroked his hair. They talked about whatever odd thing popped in her head; she could change subjects at the speed of light and it could  easily be overwhelming if he hadn’t almost lost her. He didn’t know when he drifted off, just that when he next woke Sarah was sleeping peacefully. He moved to lay next to her on her pillow, so he could watch her serene, slumbering face. He was starting to think that, perhaps he wasn’t a Galra monstrosity. How could someone as pure and gentle as Sarah fall in love with a monster? _No_ , he rationalised with himself. _She wouldn’t love me if she saw Galra evil. I can’t be all bad._ And he wholeheartedly believed it.


	74. Eternal Vows

After all the chaos and close calls the team had had recently, it was agreed a small vacation was needed. Keith initially protested, insisting they had a universe to save, but Allura reasoned with him.

 

“If we keep going we’ll run ourselves ragged and we won’t do the universe any good. It’s healthy to take a break from time to time. We just need to relax for a short while, recuperate.” she had said, browsing local star systems. 

 

“It could be fun! Maybe we can go swimming. Or…other activities.” Lance said, throwing an arm around his boyfriend. His eyebrows wiggled suggestively. 

 

Sarah rolled her eyes. “If you guys do the hanky-panky, just make sure its far enough away that we don’t have to hear it, yea? Cause that’s gross.” she scrunched up  her nose for emphasis. Lance and Keith turned bright red as Pidge almost fell over from laughing too hard. Kayla shook her head as Krisox actually did fall over from laughing too hard. 

 

Soon enough, Allura found an uninhabited, mostly unexplored planet and guided the castle there. It was beautiful and dream-like, very similar to the planet Shiro had proposed on. The Princess settled the castle next to a serene lake just as the system’s star began to sink below the horizon. 

 

When they disembarked, it was no surprise when Lance and Keith went off together nor when Sarah and Shiro did the same; it was mildly surprising that Allura and Oli chose to walk along the lake’s edge together. But, they had been getting fairly close over the past few months and Allura seemed more relaxed and at ease when Oli was around. 

 

Shiro and Sarah walked around the lake to the opposite side, where a glorious waterfall spilled over a cliff. They carefully climbed up the hill to the top of the cliff; Sarah was still healing and had to avoid unnecessary exertion. When they reached the top, the planet’s two moons were overhead and the entire sky was full of stars and other celestial bodies. They decided to stargaze, laying down opposite each other with their heads beside the other’s. They each took turns making up constellations and backstories, a fun game they often played. 

 

“Hey, Shiro?” Sarah began during a peaceful lull. 

 

“Yea?”

 

“Put your hands in mine, I wanna try something.” she said, as she laid her hands face up on either side of their heads. 

 

“Okay…” he said, curious, as he complied. 

 

“Maybe give me a sec.” she grumbled. “Okay. Ready?”

 

“I guess. For wha-?” Suddenly, memories flooded his mind, but they weren’t his; they were _Sarah’s_. Of _him_. Somehow she was playing them in his head, as though they were home videos. 

 

First was when they first met, after Sarah had boarded the castle in Darling, whose navigation system had become fried. He felt something in his core; it was almost like dejavu. Before he could contemplate it, the scene changed. They were planning a mission and she overheard the discussion. He felt a nervous hesitation fill him and it clicked; these were Sarah’s memories and her emotions. He watched from her point of view as she shared some obscure information she had on the planet they were trying to free. He complimented her, as he was impressed by just how much she knew; he remembered that being the moment he started seeing her differently, possibly as more than just a teammate. He was surprised by the change in her emotions; she went from nervous to utterly elated in the few seconds it took him to compliment her. The scene changed again, and he saw himself below a platform that was shaking occasionally. He recalled this was her first mission; it had ended up going sour, but she had held her own and followed orders well. He saw himself urging her to jump, assuring her he’d catch her. When she landed in his arms, he saw as his face grew slightly pink, and remembered how flustered she had been after that; he barely noticed because he himself had gotten flustered; by that point he had full-on crush. Next was their first kiss, on the Black Lion’s head after a night of stargazing.

 

And on it went. He watched memory after memory and felt the growing love she developed for him. It was deep and confusing and he could feel her struggle to verbalise it multiple times, but it was strong and resilient. He felt her bone-chilling terror over the thought of losing him, the warmth she got when he laughed, the peaceful happiness that filled her with pure joy as she watched him sleep. How overwhelmed she was when he proposed. 

 

And then the memories faded and he saw the stars again. He wasn’t sure how long it had been, but the moons had definitely shifted their position in the sky slightly. 

 

“It worked, right?” she asked tentatively.

 

“Yea….” he said, his voice thick with tears; he hadn’t realised he was crying. 

 

“You okay? Are you crying?” she asked, concerned. 

 

“They’re happy tears, shut up.” he joked, quoting her. She laughed and he thought about how there could be no purer, sweeter sound in the universe, which gave him an idea. “Hey, can you do that but reversed?”

 

“Hmmm….I can try.” She rolled over to push herself up, pulling her legs to her so she could sit cross-legged. He sat up as well, mirroring her. “Lemme just get some things in order.” she murmured as she closed her eyes, meditating to focus herself. He hoped she could; he had just felt the true depth of her love, something she couldn’t quite verbalise or show, but he had always had an idea of. He wanted to share with her now. 

 

“Okay, you need to focus on the memory and play it out in your head, and I’ll pick up on it.” she said after a time, opening her eyes and extending her hands. He nodded, taking her hands in his. He closed his eyes, thinking quickly about what memories he wanted to share. 

 

He replayed the scene where she had given them obscure information, only now from his point of view. He hoped he conveyed his feelings well; how in awe he was of her vast knowledge, how he started having feelings for her. He then moved onto the memory where he completely fell for her; he and the Paladins returned from a bad training session, as everyone was bickering one way or another. They were teenagers after all, and sometimes teenagers have their mood swings at the same time. Sarah had picked up on the negative mood and talked to each Paladin individually, hearing them out in full. Once she had heard all sides of each story, she somehow managed to persuade them to forgive one another. He had gone to take a shower and expected four moody teens when he got out, not four teens laughing raucously with Sarah. Her ability to always see the bright side of all situations, her patience with the other Paladins, and the way her eyes sparkled when she laughed…..He fell for her head over heels then and there. 

 

He suddenly felt her hugging him and opened his eyes. “Uh-?”

 

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” she said quickly, pulling back a little; her eyes glistened in the starlight. Sarah stroked his cheek, and laughed. “I’m a mess.” 

 

“You and me both.” he said gently, pulling her back to him. He kissed her sweetly, but passionately, full love and emotion. Soon she was in his lap and he felt himself getting lost in her lips, her touch…then an idea occurred to him. “Hey…” he murmured, panting slightly. “Why don’t we get married tomorrow?”

 

She blinked, her face beautifully flushed. “B-but…my parents….?” she asked, confused.

 

“No, I know, just….a small ceremony. And we can go all out….after.” He began softly kissing her neck. “Please?” he whispered. 

 

“Sure…tomorrow…” she said, melting in his arms. 

* * *

The next day they were unexpectedly visited by Nyma and Rollo, who were looking for Krisox; something had gone wrong with the transaction of their bounty, and the Dularian had apparently assured them he could fix it but he had to do it in person. When they found out Sarah and Shiro were going to have a small ceremony that night, Rollo insisted on staying. All day, Lance eyed them suspiciously, Keith by his side. Pidge was once again entranced by their robot and Hunk just tried to avoid them altogether. Shiro and Allura were more civil, but kept a sharp eye on them. Sarah, Kayla, and Oli were the only ones who were genuinely nice and accommodating, as they hadn’t been wronged by the bounty hunters. Sarah had a tendency to see the best in everyone and believed it would triumph over their worst, which, she had again and again admitted to herself, could make her a touch too trusting. But she didn’t want to be any other way. 

 

She spent most of the day trying to write out her vows, but found herself having great difficulty. “I don’t know how to put emotions into words!” she grumbled, tearing the sheet she had been working on out of her notebook and scrunching it up into a ball, tossing it. “Can I just like….I don’t know, throw down some memes? Would that work?”

 

Kayla laughed. “No, I don’t think so dude.” 

 

“Maybe try drawing it out and we could help you find words describing that….?” Allura offered, shrugging. 

 

“But how do you draw a complex, abstract emotion??” Sarah groaned, falling back on the couch. 

 

“I’m…sure I don’t know. I’m going to get ready myself. I, too, have to figure out what I’m going to say.” the Princess said, smiling encouragingly to Sarah as she left. 

 

“Ugghhh just let me dieeeeee.” she whined, rolling onto her stomach. 

 

“Rest in peace.” Kayla said without looking up.

* * *

Sarah felt almost overwhelmed with happiness. She couldn’t stop smiling as she looked into Shiro’s loving eyes. He squeezed their held hands as Allura began the the ceremony. They hadn’t been sure what kind of wedding ceremony to go with, as Sarah was unfamiliar with most Earth traditions and Shiro didn’t have strong feelings either way. They wanted to keep it simple, and so decided they would just exchange vows and have Allura officiate.

“Okay, who would like to say their vows first?” Allura asked after she finished her part.

Though she was blissfully happy, Sarah was also nervous; everyone was watching. 

“I’ll go.” Shiro said, his voice gentle and soft. “Sarah…before I met you, I never knew life could be filled with so much joy and love. I never knew I could be so happy, even in the midst of war. I went through hell and never thought I’d ever see pure good in the universe…and then I met you and fell in love with you…” He paused, trying to hold his happy tears until he finished, but losing the battle. “As long as I live, I swear to love you, protect you, fight for you, hold you close…I will do everything in my power to make you happy and give you the blissful life you deserve. You have my heart, my soul, my everything, forever.”

Both of them were having trouble holding back their tears by now. _Shit._ she thought. _It’s my turn._ He squeezed their hands again, smiling encouragingly. “I love you so much….” she began, her voice shaking somewhat from crying and nerves. “My world was so small and confined and I didn’t even know….and then you gave me the universe. And I’m just so lucky because you understand me, in ways no one ever has before. I want to stay by your side forever.” She didn’t wait for Allura to declare them husband and wife; Sarah wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply, losing herself as he held her tightly, lovingly. When they pulled away to breathe, both became a laughing, crying mess.

“I declare you husband and wife.” Allura said, barely holding back her own tears. Kayla came running up the steps to them, almost colliding with Sarah as she hugged her sister tightly. The other Paladins, Coran, Krisox, Rolo, and Nyma joined them, congratulating the couple. Throughout it all, Shiro had one arm wrapped around Sarah, holding her close. She wanted to stay this way forever.


	75. Honeymoon

__

A few days after the ceremony, Allura and the others insisted Sarah and Shiro go out and have fun with just the two of them. Lance referred to it as a “mini-honeymoon”. Krisox suggested a planet that had a reputation of being the go-to party destination. He quickly picked up on his sister’s trepidation and brought up a few pictures showing beautiful neon light sculptures that lit up the night. She was sold. 

 

The couple took Darling through the wormhole Allura made for them; when they were ready to return they need only call and the Princess would open another to bring them back. 

 

The planet seemed to be one big, sprawling metropolis, almost like Stiea K2, except there was a very pronounced emphasis on having a good time. Electronic dance music spilled out of nightclubs that were on almost every single corner. The pictures Krisox had pulled up didn’t do the sculptures justice; they were massive and everywhere, undulating as if with the wind. Sarah and Shiro spent the first couple of hours exploring; there was so much to see and they weren’t sure if they’d have another chance. 

 

Sarah pulled Shiro into a club they passed when she recognised the beat. Though the glowing dance floor was crowded, they managed to squeeze in, and the close proximity didn’t seem to bother Sarah. They danced through several songs, until during one song Sarah found she couldn’t keep her hands off Shiro. 

 

They slipped out of the crowd and through and alley door. Shiro held her against the wall, kissing her hungrily as she held his hips tight against hers. When they broke for air, his lips made their way to her neck; she groaned in pleasure, wrapping her leg around his to hold him closer. Shiro hiked her leg up by the thigh, rolling his hips against hers. His lips returned to hers, both lustfully hungry as one of her hands reached his neck, moving to lace her fingers through his hair. 

 

“I always found human mating rituals to be superfluously time-consuming and elaborate.” a familiar voice growled out of the darkness at the other end of the alley. 

 

“You have _got_ to be kidding me.” Sarah said irritably, as Shiro broke away, turning to face the Galra soldier approaching them. “How in the _fuck_ ,” she began, as Shiro activated his arm and she created a white orb in her hands. “did you even _find_ us.”

 

“I don’t think that matters right now, Witch.” Sendak spat, emerging from the shadows. 

 

“No, I think it does.” Shiro said, his voice commanding and firm. 

 

“Either way, you aren’t getting an answer from me.” the Galra said, his lips curling into a sickening grin.

 

“What do you want?” Sarah demanded, not liking the way he was looking at her and her husband. 

 

“You made a fool of me. I know I’ll be forgiven of this dishonour if I bring your corpses to Emperor Zarkon. Tho,” he added thoughtfully. “the Witch might want you alive.” He nodded at Sarah. “Wonder what experiments she’d perform? You want to find out?” He laughed before launching his large weaponised arm at them. 

 

Thinking quickly, Sarah surrounded her and Shiro in smoke, causing them to seemingly vanish. When Sendak turned around, multiple Sarahs came into existence, surrounding him. Before he could try to decipher which Sarah was real, Shiro came bursting out of the darkness to engage him. 

 

The two worked surprisingly well, with Sarah providing distractions that kept Sendak on his toes, causing him to trip a few times. Still, it was a very even match, what with the close quarters and the Galra’s overly large arm. 

 

Sarah gasped when Shiro was thrown down the alley. “Hey!” she yelled angrily, sending a slash of energy his way. Sendak dodged it, and she watched in horror as it knocked Shiro off his feet. In a curtain of smoke she was on her knees, by his side. “Ohmygod, ohmygod, are you okay?” she cried, helping him up.

 

“That really does hurt.” he said, half joking as he clutched his midsection. 

 

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” she babbled, her eyes wide and apologetic. “I’m sorry, I’m so-aahh!” Out of nowhere, Sendak’s Galra tech appendage grabbed her from behind, pulling her back to him. 

 

He laughed triumphantly, holding her in the air while her legs kicked in vain. Shiro roared in anger and rushed Sendak, surprising the Galra with his speed when he suddenly found the Paladin’s glowing arm at his neck. “Let her go.” Shiro commanded, his voice low and dangerous. 

 

“Or what?” Sendak asked, laughing. “I can’t see you actually killing me.” The Galra paused to think for half a second. “Let me do my own little experiment. How far until you break?” he asked, smiling maliciously as he began squeezing his prosthetic hand. Sarah cried out in pain, squirming in a desperate attempt to escape. 

 

Without hesitation, Shiro slit the Galra’s throat, much to the alien’s surprise. He dropped Sarah, who fell to her hands and knees, as he grabbed his throat, trying to clot the deep gash in vain. Shiro deactivated his arm and ran to Sarah’s side, ignoring the dying Galra. “Are you okay?” he asked, framing her face with his hands. 

 

“Yea…” she panted. “A little bruised I think, but beyond that….” Supporting her elbows, he helped her to her feet. 

 

“You sure?” he asked, his brows coming together in concern when she winced. 

 

“Yea, just….ow…” she mumbled, holding the spot where he had hurt her while possessed. He nodded, understanding, and she was thankful she didn’t have to explain in full detail. Her gaze found the now deceased Galra soldier, her expression impassive. “Can’t say I’m going to miss him.” she said quietly. 

 

Shiro kissed the top of her head, gently wrapping an arm around her waist as they returned to Darling. 

 

After they left the planet’s atmosphere, Sarah sat in Shiro’s lap, straddling him. “Uh-? Aren’t you hurt?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. 

 

“Not too too much.” she said, a slight blush tinging her cheeks. “Besides, Sendak interrupted us. I wasn’t done….” 

 

Shiro wasted no time in pulling her hips closer, kissing her hungrily. “Neither was I.” he murmured, his eyes twinkling.


	76. Post-Honeymoon

After the finished their fun, Sarah shifted to sit sideways on Shiro’s lap, laying her head on his shoulder as she pulled her phone out of god knows where. “Uh oh. Seven missed calls from Pidgey.” 

 

“I hope everything’s okay…” Shiro murmured, his brows furrowing in concern. 

 

“Let’s find out.” Sarah replied as she swiped up on her phone; Darling’s HUD pulled up the video call interface. A second later, Pidge’s frantically worried face appeared. 

 

“Are you guys okay?” they asked, so close only their eyes were visible. 

 

“Um…yea…?” Shiro said, confused, as he and Sarah shared a bewildered look. 

 

“The device I made that controlled the tracker in Shiro’s arm, it went haywire.” they said, talking fast. “I’ve been trying to fix it and get in contact with you to warn you but neither of you picked up your phones….”

 

“Pidge?” Allura’s voice came from behind. “Oh good, you did get a hold of them.” Pidge back away as the Princess entered the frame. “Are you both okay?”

 

“Yea.” Sarah said thoughtfully. “That does explain-”

 

“Explain what, explain what?” Pidge asked, frantic again, as they tried to take up the entire frame again. 

 

“We had a run in with Sendak.” she replied simply. 

 

“What happened?”

 

“We took care of it.”

 

“But what-”

 

“Pidge.” Sarah said pointedly. “We took care of it.” The Paladin grew quiet, knowing she was serious; Sarah rarely used their actual names once she assigned a nickname. 

 

“Ready to come back?” Allura asked over Pidge’s shoulder.  

 

“Yea, throw up the wormhole whenever you’re ready.” Shiro said with a nod. 

* * *

“Mani! Pani!” V’selle and Chi chanted when Sarah and Shiro disembarked. Shiro scooped Chi up, swinging her around before bring her in for a hug. Sarah knelt down and embraced V’selle, before standing up with the child in her arms, resting her on her hip. 

 

“Welcome back! Did you have fun?” Allura asked as she approached. 

 

“Yea, it was really pretty!” Sarah said enthusiastically. “Fingers crossed it stays that way.”

 

Allura nodded grimly in agreement and opened her mouth to speak but was interrupted by Lance. 

 

“Hey, yo, Sarah, guess what!” he called, waving. 

 

“What’s up?” she asked, walking over to meet him as she booped V’selle’s nose playfully. 

 

“Okay, you know that thing you taught Shiro to do? To see the colours and whatever?” 

 

“Yea…?”  
  


“Kayla taught me how to do it and I focused and I did it and I’m blue!”

 

Sarah would be jumping up and down, clapping excitedly, if she didn’t have her adopted daughter in arms; still, her face got the gist of her excitement across. “Dude that’s so awesome! I had a feeling you’d be blue. I wonder if the other Paladins match their Lions?” 

 

“What colour is Shiro? Black?” the Blue Paladin asked the Black Paladin joined them. 

 

“No, he’s purple, like a vivid purple. Only those who practise Black Magic are black.” she answered as V’selle reached for Shiro. He moved Chi to one arm and scooped V’selle into his other as Sarah passed the girl off. 

 

“Are you white then?” 

 

“No,” Sarah laughed as the group began to exit the hangar. “I’m a lavender. Oh!” she said, overexcited again. “Did you see Kayla’s colour? What colour is she??” 

 

“She’s a uh….a kinda bluish purplish….?” 

 

“Periwinkle?”

 

“Yea! Hey, isn’t there a fairy you guys love named Periwinkle?” 

 

“Yea! Secret of the Wings! She’s Tinker Bell’s twin sister.” 

 

Shiro shared an amused look with Allura as the other two jumped from one topic to another at the speed of light. It was hard to keep up, but entertaining to watch. 


	77. Hero

“That is so cute!” Sarah squealed excitedly, rocking herself off the couch and onto her feet. 

 

“Uh-where are you going?” Lance asked, suddenly apprehensive. 

 

“I’m gonna go tell Shiro, of course. I’m sure he’d love to hear that you looked up to him as a hero!” she said brightly, flouncing around the couch to the door. 

 

“Hey-no-Sarah, you can’t do that!” Lance whined, scrambling off the couch. Kayla, who had been watching the television, stood up and sat on Lance before he could escape. She flashed a thumbs up to Sarah before turning her attention back to the television. “This isn’t fair, you’re both conspiring against me!” he whimpered dramatically. 

 

“Oh nonsense.” Sarah said. Just before she could reach the door, it opened and Shiro walked in, coming to a halt two steps into the lounge. 

 

“Uh…why is Kayla sitting on Lance…?” he asked uncertainly, as if he wasn’t sure he wanted to know the answer. 

 

“Guess what!” Sarah started, clapping excitedly. “You were Lance’s hero in the Garrison!” 

 

A strained whining noise came from the couch. Sarah looked over and saw Lance trying to bury himself in the couch. Turning back to her husband, she noticed a slight tinge of red in his face. “Aww, babe, you’re blushing!” she cooed, framing his face with her hands as she rose on her tiptoes to kiss him. His blush became more noticeable and he tried to hide it but was failing miserably. 

 

“Right, well,” he began, clearing his throat and trying to regain composure. “I’m….flattered, very flattered.” 

 

“I’m gonna go die now.” Lance said, his voice heavily muffled from him being face down in the couch. 

 

“Shiro, you are the absolute cutest when you’re blushy and awks!” Sarah laughed, tapping his nose before she made to return to the couch. 

 

“Oh, no you don’t.” he said cheekily, wrapping his arms around her from behind and tickling her midsection. She squeaked, doubling over and causing them to fall to the floor, where they became a mess of laughter. 

 

“Hey, as cute as that is, I’m trying to watch TV.” Kayla said, sliding off Lance so he could make a run for it if he wanted. He just groaned into the couch cushions.

 

“Sorry, Kayla.” Sarah said dramatically sarcastic. The sisters stuck their tongues out at each other. She made to sit up but Shiro gently stopped her. “You wanna just lay on the floor?” she asked, half jokingly.

 

“Sure.” he said, shrugging. 

 

“Well alright then.” she giggled, laying back down, cuddling up next to him. 

 

When Krisox walked in a second later, he seemed confused for a second before shrugging and stepping over the couple like they weren’t there. He swiped up on his phone, causing the video he was watching to take over the television screen.

 

“Hey!” Kayla protested angrily.

 

“It’s a rerun, you’ve seen it like ten times.” Krisox said offhandedly. “Sarah, how do you think that old hag did this?” 

 

Sarah looked over at her brother, frowning in confusion, and pushed herself up to a sitting position so she could see the screen. Krisox was playing the clip  where Zarkon’s ship was extracting a planet’s quintessence. She hated watching it, as the video reminded her that someone in her community was likely killed immediately after recording and sending it out. But she also knew it was important that they find out how Zarkon and Hagger could achieve such a feat. Sighing, she rose to her feet and went to stand next to Krisox. He replayed the clip, slowing it down so they could try to get a better look at the details. “Honestly? I don’t even know. White didn’t have a clue either.” 

 

“Hagger can’t do something on that scale without help.” Shiro said, suddenly behind her. “Um…right?” he asked uncertainly, his worried eyes turning to Sarah. 

 

“No.” she said, shaking her head slightly. “There’s no way she could do that herself. She must have had help from other druids, but still….” 

 

Krisox restarted the clip again, slowing it down even more. He sighed dejectedly. “We aren’t gonna get much farther with just this, we need a closer look.” 

 

“Krisox…” Sarah said slowly, raising an eyebrow at her brother. She didn’t like the thoughtful look on his face. 

 

“Do you want to physically go to Zarkon’s command ship and snoop around?” Shiro asked incredulously. 

 

“Yea.” the Dularian said, shrugging. “I can get in and out real fast, my ship has some of the best cloaking technology to date.” 

 

“So you not only want to go into enemy territory, you want to go _alone_.” 

 

“Krisox, I’m not letting you go there alone.” Sarah said firmly. 

 

“I’m sorry, when did I need your permission?” Krisox asked sharply, crossing his arms and raising an eyebrow at his little sister. 

 

“I’m not saying you do, I’m saying it’s dangerous and you haven’t been around Galra shit as much. If this were some gang lord’s lair I’d be a bit more whatever because that’s your area of expertise.” 

 

“And Zarkon’s command ship is yours.” His eyes narrowed but she didn’t waver.

 

 

“Not exactly. I’m just more familiar with Galra shit.” She crossed her arms over her chest, meeting and holding his gaze. 

 

“Look, us three will go together. We’ll be in and out before anyone notices.” Shiro said, moving to stand between them and diffuse the tension. 

 

“Uh, you guys sure? Pretty sure Shiro’s arm will set off alarms if he uses it, since, you know…” Lance said, removing his face from the couch cushions and sitting up. 

 

“That is a good point….” Shiro murmured, looking at his prosthetic absentmindedly. 

 

“You could ask Keith maybe? Pretty sure he’s not registered or in Galra databanks or….” Lance waved his hands, trying to find the right word. “…whatever.” he shrugged, giving up. 

 

“It’d be a tight squeeze, my ship isn’t that big.” Krisox said as he removed the clip from the television, returning it to the program Kayla had been watching. 

 

“I’m still going.” Shiro said firmly, wrapping an arm around Sarah’s waist. “We’ll just have to make it work.”

 

“Whatever, let’s get planning.” her brother said, rolling his eyes as the couple shared a kiss.


	78. Circle

“Okay, well, so far so good.” Krisox whispered, peering around the corner. They had managed to dock his vessel next to an airdock and board Zarkon’s command ship without setting off any alarms. Now they were moving cautiously, trying to avoid any kind of detection. The goal was to be in and out without any kind of trace, and that included downed sentries. They didn’t have a map or any real idea of where to go; the mission was strictly reconnaissance and they wanted to gather as much information as they could. Upon finding an empty storage room, the four slid inside, carefully closing the door behind them. “Okay, Sarah, do your thing.” Krisox said.

 

“No promises, this place is huge.” she murmured, closing her eyes to explore the ship through quintessence. Just as she had expected, most of her view was an indecipherable mess. There was too much interference. She could, however, tell that there were some areas that had a large concentration of quintessence. “Okay, I couldn’t get much,” she began, opening her eyes. “but there are some places that have a higher concentration of quintessence than the rest of the ship. We should probably check those.” 

 

“Could you tell where they were located?” Keith whispered, crouched by the door to keep a lookout. 

 

“Not exact, just….directions sort of.” She closed her eyes again to try and get a better idea of the locations. There were two very large concentrations, one near the center of the ship and one a bit farther up. “Okay, there’s one at the center….and one farther up…” She sighed and opened her eyes; that was the best she could do. 

 

“I think the center one might be where he was trying to capture the Black Lion. I think I could find a way there.” Keith offered.

 

“You mean split up?” Shiro asked in a hushed, alarmed tone. “Is that really the best idea?”

 

“Maybe.” Krisox said thoughtfully. “I think I’d be able to tell if I was at one of the big concentrations or not. I’ll go with Keith.” 

 

Shiro frowned; Sarah could tell he did not like the newly formed plan. She hugged him as the other two slipped out. “It’ll be okay.” she said soothingly. 

 

He smiled appreciatively, kissing the top of her head. “Let’s get going then, shall we?”

* * *

Through caution, patience, and quick thinking, Sarah and Shiro managed to reach the upper portion of Zarkon’s command ship unnoticed. Sarah could feel in the air that they were getting close; the atmosphere was heavier and almost seemed to be charged with subtle static electricity. 

 

They were sneaking along carefully when they heard a squad of sentries marching their way. They quickly dived through the nearest door, sliding it closed quietly behind them. The room was dark, but as her eyes adjusted, Sarah noticed there was a strange, faint purple glow. The air was especially energised and as she ventured farther into the room she came to the conclusion that it was the place they were looking for. 

 

“What is all this?” Shiro asked quietly, gesturing to the the strange capsules on the long shelves. They were the source of the dim light; though each one glowed brightly, their purple light didn’t seem to reach very far, as if there was a heavy darkness in the room subduing the light. 

 

“I think it’s quintessence….” she murmured, steadily moving forward; there was a brighter purple glow at the end of the row, and she was curious to see what it was. 

 

As she got close, she saw the middle of the room was a sunken, hexagon-shaped area situated beneath a strange claw-like mechanism hanging from the ceiling. She thought it strange that the floor was also glowing. She descended the few steps and knelt down, her eyes tracing the strange, glowing, circular pattern that seemed to be carved in the floor. 

 

“Is this the place we were looking for?” Shiro asked, joining her in the hexagon. 

 

“Definitely.” she said with a nod. “No idea what this is though…” She reached down to trace the glowing lines with her hand, but when she touched it, it shocked her hand and violent visions flashed through her mind. She gasped and fell backwards onto the steps, her heart hammering. 

 

“What happened?” Shiro asked, crouching next to her. “Are you okay?” 

 

She nodded, her eyes wide and unfocused as she tried to make sense of what she just experienced. “This….this is Hagger’s…..” she murmured, trying to sort through the terrifying visions. Most of them seemed like blurs of purple light, but there were a few she could see clearly. “A lot of Black Magic happens here….and…” she paused, frowning; she didn’t know what to make of the other image she could decipher. “I think she….like…zaps Zarkon….with pure quintessence….?” She looked to Shiro, her confused eyes focusing on his. 

 

“What would that do to a person?” he asked, but all she could do for an answer was shake her head; she had no idea. Shiro looked to the circle and then around them. “We should go, if this is Hagger’s we shouldn’t linger too long.” he said, standing up and offering her his hand. She took it and pulled herself up, eager to leave the room; it made sense now why the atmosphere felt so heavy; it was thick with Hagger’s evil. And she wanted to get as far away from the almost suffocating room as possible. 

 

They were making their way back to the lower levels when a thought occurred to her. “Hey, think we could try to find the throne room? I have an idea.”

 

“Seriously? _Zarkon’s_ throne room?” Shiro asked in disbelief. 

 

“Yea. If he’s in there then we leave. If it’s empty…..okay this will sound silly, but it’s part of one of my plans. Or, it’d contribute, at least.”

 

“What do you want to do?” he asked, amused, as they changed direction. 

 

“I wanna take a selfie!”


	79. Krisox No

“You want to take a selfie.” Shiro stated incredulously. “What purpose could that possibly serve?” 

 

“It’s part of my social media propaganda campaign.” Sarah said simply, slowing to a halt as they approached an intersection. 

 

After they made sure the coast was clear, they continued on. “I’m sorry? Your what propaganda campaign?” he asked, bemused. 

 

“Oh did I not-? Did I not tell anyone about that?” She frowned, confused; she could have sworn she’d talked about with someone. 

 

“Not to my knowledge, no.” he whispered, ducking behind a corner as sentries passed by. 

 

“Oh.” Her eyes became distant, as they did when her memory failed her; it was quite disorienting. “Well, since social media is so ubiquitous, it’s one of the few things the Galra can’t control, I figured it’d be a good weapon.”  

 

“How?” 

 

“I make posts that hurt Zarkon’s reputation and make him look weak go viral. The way I see it, most of those under Galra rule haven’t ever seen him in person, so he may was well be a god. So we need to ruin that image.” 

 

“Makes sense…I just don’t see how you actually go about doing that?” He slowed down, holding out his arm to stop her as they came upon another intersection; they knelt down, hiding, as a squad of sentries marched pass. 

 

“Well, I mean, imagine how it’ll look if two of his biggest adversaries take a selfie in his _throne_.” she said quietly, stifling a giggle. 

 

“You’ve got a point there.” he murmured, peering up and down the corridor before motioning for her to follow. “But what does tearing down his reputation help fight against the Galra armies? I guess I don’t see the connection between fighting the empire and shit-talking and vague-posting online.” 

 

“Well….I’m running on theories that I have no idea how to prove….but I think…Zarkon and Galra empire is just so overwhelming as a whole. People are discouraged from doing anything. So, I’m making a molehill out of a mountain in the hopes that…..” she shrugged, not sure how to end her sentence. 

 

“I can understand that logic.” he whispered. “That’s some pretty intense psychology you’re working with.” He smiled at her proudly, making her blush. “I think we might be close, wanna scout it out?”

 

She nodded, closing her eyes. Once again, she had some difficulty navigating, but managed to find a large space that had a very light concentration of quintessence no too far from them. “I think you might be right.” she said, smiling up at him. “But how do we get in is the question.”

 

“Think you could just…teleport us in?” 

 

“In theory, yes, but I need to get closer so i can get better feel….and don’t get us stuck in a wall.”

 

“Yea, that’d really put a damper on my day.” he joked, moving forward. 

* * *

“Success!” she whispered triumphantly as they appeared in front of Zarkon’s throne. “Damn. I didn’t figure him for the ostentatious type.” she commented, looking at the grandiose seat. 

 

“C’mon, let’s make this quick.” Shiro murmured apprehensively. Sarah nodded and pulled out her phone. “Where in god’s name do you even keep that?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. 

 

“I have various secret pockets. Okay, I’m gonna do that duck face thing, you should umm…..you should dab!” she said softly, but excitedly. 

 

“Whatever you say.” he chuckled despite his apprehension. 

 

“Okay, on three.” she said, holding her phone out and framing them right. “One…two…three!” The camera snapped and she quickly returned her phone to its hiding place. 

 

“Okay, let’s go.” Shiro said anxiously. He seemed especially tense until they reached an empty server room, though his anxiety was perfectly valid. “Don’t post that until we leave, okay?” he said, sighing as he leaned against the wall.

 

She walked over and hugged him, resting her head on his chest. “Of course.” she said softly. “You didn’t have to say yes, you know?”

 

“I know….but I have faith in your plans, they’re insanely well thought out.” he said with a chuckle, wrapping his arms around her small form. 

 

She blushed again, hiding her face against his armour. Very suddenly she perked up and looked at the door. Half a second later, Krisox and Keith ran in, panting. “You guys okay?” she asked, walking over to her brother who was lying on the floor trying to catch his breath. 

 

“Yea we just…had to outrun some sentries….” he said between pants. 

 

“Oh, damn. So much for not being seen.” she said indifferently, leaning back to sit cross-legged on the floor. “Did you guys find what you were looking for?”

 

“Yeah.” Keith said, leaning against one of the server stacks. “It was what I thought, it’s this big room with a large circle, and it’s right in the center of the ship.”

 

“Hey, you ever notice how this place is like a squid?” Sarah asked, seemingly randomly; it wasn’t to her, as she had made the connection while trying to imagine where they had gone. “And that…whatever it is, circle room, is like the squid’s mouth.”

 

“That’s….a really good comparison.” Shiro noted, smiling. She beamed. 

 

“Couldn’t really get much intel though.” Keith said dejectedly. 

 

“Yea…but I had an idea…” Krisox started slowly. “and you aren’t gonna like it.”

 

Sarah tensed slightly, sharing a concerned look with Shiro. “What is it….?” she asked slowly. 

 

“You think you could extract memories like White did?” 

 

“Maybe, if she walks me through it.” she answered, her brows furrowing. “Krisox, what’re you-”

 

“I wanna see if we can capture Hagger.” he said, sitting up. “Get the information we need right from the source.”


	80. Krisox Yes

“Excuse me?” Keith asked sharply. “You want to capture who now?”

 

Sarah watched her brother carefully, unsure what to make of his idea. On one hand, he had a point; getting information from the source would likely prove fruitful. But on the other hand, he was talking about the Dark Witch, leader of the Druids and Zarkon’s right hand. 

 

“Yes, I know, Hagger, she’s quite a big fish.” Krisox went on calmly. 

 

“A big fish? Do you know what she’s capable of, what she’s done?” Keith asked angrily, fists clenching. 

 

“I know what she’s done.” her brother answered quietly, his muted eyes meeting her gaze. “But we don’t know what exactly she’s capable of.” 

 

Sarah brought her knees to her chest, hugging them as she rested her chin on her kneecaps. She didn’t know what to do. She agreed with her brother that they really were more or less in the dark on what Hagger was capable of. But would it be worth the risk? 

 

“Shiro? You wanna try talking some sense into him?” Keith said exasperatedly, crossing his arms over his chest. 

 

Sarah looked over to her husband; his expression was pensive. “Babe…?” she prompted softly. His eyes focused on hers, still thinking, but she got the sense he was close to a decision. 

 

“I think….he has a point.” Shiro began slowly, much to Keith’s chagrin. “But…Krisox, you’re depending on a lot of ‘maybes’ for this to work.” 

 

“I….I know.” Krisox sighed. “I know I’m not able to do it. I’d be asking an awful lot of you, Sarah….” 

 

She bit her lip, thinking. “I….probably could knock her out and tap into her memories. But I can’t tap in and protect my mind from hers….”

 

“What would you need?”

 

“Well….you and Kayla would have to like….be my mental shield…if that makes any sense….?” She shrugged. 

 

“Yea, makes sense to me.” Krisox said with a nod. 

 

“Shiro, are we really gonna go through with this?” Keith asked indignantly. 

 

“I’m not too keen on the idea myself, Keith, but…we need the information. We don’t know how they’re sucking the life out of planets. What more could they be capable of?” 

 

Keith opened his mouth to say something before angrily shutting it. 

 

“Do you have a plan to capture her, Krisox?” Shiro asked, ignoring the Red Paladin’s sulking. 

 

“Actually….yeah, I do.”

* * *

“Sarah, will you stop?” Krisox hissed irritably. The two were hiding above a hanger in the rafters, watching Shiro walk slowly through the middle of it. The plan was to lure Hagger using Shiro as bait and Sarah and Keith hadn’t liked the sound of that plan at all. But despite the Red Paladin’s angry objections and Sarah insisting that she be the bait instead, Shiro consented. 

 

When Hagger inevitably made her appearance, Sarah was to teleport down and zap the witch into unconsciousness. But sitting up in the rafters, watching and waiting made her antsy and nervous; she couldn’t help her anxious squirming. Her brother had already asked her to calm her jitters three times. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” she whispered meekly. She saw Keith hiding on the top of one of the Galra fighter crafts, and she knew he was just as uneasy as she was. Shiro was essentially his older brother and the only stable familial relationship he had ever had. 

 

“Is my Champion all alone?” 

 

Sarah tensed, gripping her brother’s hand tightly as Hagger appeared ahead of Shiro. “You ready?” Krisox whispered, watching her carefully. She set her jaw and nodded. 

 

Taking a deep breath, teleported herself behind the Dark Witch. “He’s not alone.” she said severely. Before the witch could turn, Sarah had zapped her neck, knocking her unconscious. Hagger crumpled to the floor as Keith and Krisox left their hiding spots. 

 

“Okay, let’s get going.” her brother grunted, hoisting the witch over his shoulder. Sarah nodded and grabbed Shiro’s hand as the three followed Krisox. They were likely pushing their luck and wouldn’t go unnoticed for much longer. She could feel that Shiro was just as tense as she was, and just tried to focus on getting out alive. 

* * *

Sarah clung to Shiro tightly as Krisox navigated the space around Zarkon’s central command. Sure enough, they had been spotted and alarms began sounding as they were making their escape. They managed to get back to her brother’s ship unharmed, but now Galra fighters were swarming around them, firing at the small vessel. 

 

“I thought this thing went invisible!” Keith yelled, slightly frantic. 

 

“It does, it does, it just…it takes a second!” Krisox said defensively, rapidly hitting and clicking buttons. “There, okay, we’re invisible again.” 

 

Sarah wanted to relax, as the Galra fighters had clearly lost them and they were home free, but Hagger’s limp form wasn’t more than two feet from her and Shiro. He hadn’t taken his eyes off the witch since they set off, holding Sarah tightly. She doubted either of them would be able to relax while the witch was close.


	81. Extraction

The entire team hovered around the tube that held Hagger’s unconscious form. Everyone seemed on edge, but none were as tense as Sarah and Shiro were. As Pidge, Coran, and Allura set everything up to extract the witch’s memories, Keith and Lance whispered conspiratorially to the side. Sarah suspected Keith was venting to Lance about Krisox and his dangerous plan and she didn’t blame him. It wouldn’t take Zarkon long to realise where his right hand was. It was agreed that, at the first sign of any trouble, they were to eject Hagger, in the hopes that whatever showed up would stop to pick up the witch, allowing the team to escape through a wormhole. It was quite a big risk they were taking, and there was no guaranteed payoff. 

 

“Okay, everything’s set up.” Allura said, turning away from the tube. “Are you…are you sure you’re ready?” she asked Sarah tentatively. 

 

The small human nodded, her eyes wide and impassive as she stared at her adversary. She sat down cross-legged against a tube on the opposite side of the hall, getting herself comfortable; she expected to be there for several hours at least. She had already connected with White to explain the plan and receive guidance. Kayla and Krisox sat on either side of her and she took their hands in hers, closing her eyes and humming slightly to synchronise their quintessence wavelengths. 

 

“Let’s go…” she heard Allura whisper, ushering the others away so they wouldn’t disturb the white magic. “Um, Shiro?” 

 

“I’m gonna stay here, keep an eye on things.” her husband said from her right. Peeking, she saw him leaning against the wall near her, watching Hagger like a hawk. 

 

“Um…okay. Okay. Just….let us know if you need anything or…if anything happens….” the Princess trailed off uncertainly, and after a few seconds of silence Sarah heard her footsteps drift away. 

 

“You guys ready?” Sarah asked, opening her eyes to visually confirm with her siblings. They both nodded, and closed their eyes. Their job was simple enough: they were to mentally link with her and provide a barrier between her mind and Hagger’s in case Hagger somehow gained consciousness and fought back. Sarah didn’t want to think what Hagger would do in that situation. 

 

Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes. White’s mind reached hers, guiding her. Sarah gingerly extended her reach to the Dark Witch; she winced slightly when she connected. The witch’s mind was dark and confusing, a swirling haze of evil. She steadied herself so she didn’t get overwhelmed, and followed her Lion’s instructions very carefully. White had warned her that a person’s mind was a confusing storm of thoughts and memories, and if she didn’t focus she could easily let some of her thoughts slip. Sarah was determined not to let that happen. 

* * *

She didn’t know how much time had passed, she just knew it felt like an eternity. Sarah was desperate for some kind of status update; she had been carefully pulling at Hagger’s thoughts as though they were strings tangled together, but she couldn’t tell if they were being collected by the Altean technology. 

 

“You’re doing great, Sarah.” Shiro said softly. “We’ve collected some memories already, White says you’re doing really well.” 

 

She smiled inwardly; she was glad White connected with Shiro as well as her. She wasn’t sure if her Lion would let him in the pilot seat, but she didn’t see that becoming necessary. 

 

A short while later, she felt herself hit a snag. Sarah had reached a particularly tangled, messy clump of memories, and was having a hard time pulling them apart. White cautioned her, advising her to move around it, return to it later. Mentally, she nodded and tried to ease around it, but it proved difficult. The mass felt like it was grabbing onto her almost, as if it was a spider’s web; it didn’t help that curiosity was eating away at her. But White kept her focused and on tracked and she managed to move on to more manageable threads.

* * *

She didn’t realise she had lost track of time again; Sarah had become absorbed in her work and White was focused solely on her. Neither picked up on her sister’s fatigue.

 

Sarah got the sense that something was changing when it felt like Hagger’s memories and thoughts were latching on to her instead of just passively floating and letting her tease them apart. White picked up on the change immediately, and she felt her mentor seek out the others around her, to determine their status. When White’s presence left her mind, Hagger’s threads became violent. She found her mind on the defensive, and began to retreat, but a few of the Dark Witch’s thoughts had managed to latch on and were pulled to Sarah’s mind as she withdrew her efforts. 

 

Suddenly her head was pounding and a swirling darkness tried to invade. She didn’t realise she had cried out in pain; Shiro was kneeling in front of her, talking to her, but everything was muted and hazy. “She’s…in my head….” she tried to say, but she wasn’t sure if she got the words out. She felt strong, firm hands grab her shoulders and felt herself become somewhat grounded. 

 

Sarah opened her eyes, realising they had been closed this whole time, and looked into her husband’s worried eyes. She still couldn’t make out what he was saying, but her sister’s scream made her understand she had her hands clamped tightly over her ears. 

 

“Shit, eject her, eject her!” she heard Krisox yell as she removed her trembling hands from her ears. Looking over Shiro’s shoulder, she saw the Dark Witch awake and grinning maliciously. Her brother ran in front of the tube, slamming the ejection panel. An alarm blared, its red light flashing off and on, which drowned out whatever Krisox was shouting and Shiro’s words of comfort. 

 

Overcome by fear and confusion, Sarah broke down, wrapping her arms around Shiro and sobbing into his shoulder. She didn’t know what had happened or how it had happened, but somehow Hagger had reached her mind. She shuddered to think what the Dark Witch managed to find. 

* * *

“I trust you didn’t suffer too severely?” Zarkon asked over the broadcast. 

 

“No…” Hagger began, grinning ear to ear. “I don’t think they found much of anything of use.” 

 

“But I take it you did?”

 

“Oh yes….yes, I found something that will bring them to their knees.” 

 

“A weakness?”

 

“I should think so.” the witch could barely contain her malicious glee. “They have _children_.”

 

“My, my….that is useful information. Are you in pursuit?” 

 

“Of course. They won’t get very far. I think they would be willing to hand over Voltron itself for their brats. I shall see to it myself.”


	82. Peace Interrrupted

“How’s Sarah doin?” Lance asked a few days later. They had landed the castle on a green, forested planet to refuel and restock, but Shiro had decided to take the children out to play. The past weeks had been tense and he felt some recreational time was warranted. Sarah had remained with White, recuperating, so Lance and Pidge had joined Shiro and the kids. They had found a small clearing within sight of the castle and settled in, watching the five children run amok in glee. Pidge had brought Rover 2.0 and flew the droid around with a remote control, chasing the boys.

 

“Better….She’ll be okay, she’s resilient.” Shiro said, smiling as Chi gave him a flower bracelet. She had been hard at work making flower jewelry with V’selle, who had gone just beyond the bushes to retrieve more material. “Can you see V’selle?” he asked as Chi slipped the bracelet on his Galra arm, clapping giddily. 

 

Lance strained his neck, looking over the bushes while also trying to avoid disrupting his and Tei’s hand game. “Yea, I see her.” he said after a few seconds. “Whoa, hey careful now!” he said as Aury and N’ec almost toppled over Tei. The two had been playing Voltron, a popular game with the children where one would pretend to be Voltron and the other would pretend to be a Robeast; in this case, both boys were Voltron and Rover 2.0 was the Robeast. They apologised profusely, picking themselves up hastily. Tei jumped to her feet, startling them slightly. 

 

“You have made a grave mistake, for I am Zarkon! Muahaha!” she said dramatically. She then began to chase the boys around and the clearing became filled with their laughter. Pidge laughed, maneuvering Rover 2.0 to fly in tandem with Tei. 

 

Chi crawled over to Lance, holding out a flower bracelet for Lance. “Bluh, Bluh.” she said, smiling; she hadn’t quite figured out how to pronounce his name properly. His face lit up as he held out his hand, and she carefully slid it onto his wrist. 

 

A bloodcurdling scream erupted from the forest; Shiro quickly rose to his feet to investigate, but by that time V’selle had returned, running into his arms and crying. “Pani, meanies, the purple meanies, they here!” she sobbed. 

 

“Shit.” he muttered. “Lance, Pidge get the kids back to the castle, I’ll stall them.” 

 

“I’m not leaving you _alone_!” Lance said indignantly. 

 

“Would you just-”

 

“I got it covered.” Pidge said, corralling the children while simultaneously contacting Allura. 

 

Turning back to the forest, he could see the sunlight glint of the Galra bots. He activated his arm as Lance pulled out his bayard. He took one last glance behind him to make sure the kids and Pidge were a safe distance; when he saw that they were he nodded to Lance and dove into the forest. 

* * *

Her peaceful, relaxed world was shattered when Tei and the others came running in, each child babbling all at once. Sarah looked to Pidge, who followed them in, for some kind of explanation. But before the Green Paladin could open their mouth, a strange sensation overcame her; she felt a sudden, heavy weight pressing against her chest as visions rapidly flashed through her mind. 

 

“There were Galra-Shiro, Lance-” Pidge panted, trying to catch their breath. 

 

Recovering, Sarah rose shakily to her feet. “Not just any Galra.” she murmured, her voice low and full of fear. “Druids.”


	83. His Death

Shiro groaned groggily, slowly opening his eyes. It took him a second to remember what had happened, and where he now was. Looking around he found Lance, still unconscious, against the opposite wall. He hadn’t anticipated the druids ambushing them; he suspected Hagger had set it up somehow. He wouldn’t put it past her to be able to track them even after they passed through a wormhole. 

 

Standing up, he stretched before approaching the door and peering out at the hall. It had the same symbols on the walls that he and Sarah had seen on the mission where they fell into Hagger’s trap. “Must be runes or something….” he murmured to himself. He ducked when two druids walked past, straining to hear their conversation. 

 

“…after everything? Is he of no more use?” one asked. 

 

“I do not know. That is her command. I know she wants the White Witch to suffer….but her orders seem….wasteful….” 

 

Their voices grew faint as they moved farther down the hall. He slid down the wall to the floor, trying to make sense of their conversation. Before he could give it much thought, Lance stirred, pushing himself up to his hands and knees. 

 

“Well that sucked.” he grumbled, leaning back to sit against his wall. 

 

“You okay?” Shiro asked, crawling to sit across from him. 

 

“Yea. I mean, I’d be better if we weren’t in a Galra prison cell. But given that can’t be helped, yea. You?” 

 

“Same, basically.” Shiro chuckled. “Trying to figure out a conversation two druids were having, they just walked past….”

 

“Yea? What did they say?” Lance asked, tilting his head. 

 

“Something about ‘is he of no more use’ and Hagger wanting Sarah to suffer….I know one said ‘wasteful’….” he trailed off, lost in thought as the pieces fell into place. 

 

“Shiro?” Lance asked, concerned. “Did you figure it-oh…” Shiro watched the young Paladin’s eyes grow wide with fear as everything clicked with him as well. “But…no, they wouldn’t….would they….?” 

 

“Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised.” he said grimly. It would be the perfect way to get back at Sarah, and whatever “use” he had with the druids likely wouldn’t save him. He leaned his head against the wall, staring at the dark ceiling. 

 

“But I mean….the others, they’ll come for us, they’ll come before-before-” Lance couldn’t finish the sentence, his voice thick with emotion. 

 

“We can hope…” Shiro whispered. “But…if they don’t….they most definitely will be able to save you-”

 

“Shiro, please don’t talk-”

 

“Lance.” Shiro said, gently but firmly; the Blue Paladin fell silent. “Just promise me something, okay? Tell Sarah….and the kids….” he took a deep breath to steady himself. “Tell them I love them more than the universe, okay? Promise me that.”

 

Lance was quiet for a long moment; Shiro looked over to find the young Paladin staring at the floor. “Okay.” he said softly. His gaze rose to hold Shiro’s. “I promise.”

* * *

Hours later, the druids came for them. They slapped restraints on both Paladins, securing their hands behind them before they were led out. Shiro tried to insist they leave Lance, but the druids ignored him. He hoped the others would make it in time to save him, though Shiro couldn’t see them killing two Paladins. His death had a purpose; Lance’s, not so much. 

 

They were led into a wide room that had small, low table in the middle. The druids commanded the sentries to drag him over to it, and he saw the faint glow of a circle on the floor around it, similar to what they had found in Hagger’s room aboard Zarkon’s central command ship. _This is where they…they do it.._..he thought grimly. He chanced a quick glance behind him; they had taken Lance to the side and forced him onto his knees. Before he could try to wordlessly communicate with the young Paladin, he was forced onto his knees as well, kneeling in front of the table. It struck him as odd that Hagger was nowhere to be seen; he figured she would want to deliver the killing blow herself. 

 

One of the druids forcefully pushed his head down onto the table. “Any last words?” the creature hissed. 

 

“Go to hell.” he growled defiantly. 

 

Shiro closed his eyes, bracing himself for what was coming. He tried to focus on Sarah, her laughing, their small wedding…

 

A scream echoed throughout the facility, filling it with agony, sadness…..and fury. In the blink of an eye all the power went out, plunging the room into darkness and chaos. 


	84. Bait

“Sarah, we can’t, we still need to refuel, we won’t make it.” Allura said in the control room, scanning the system for Galra ships. 

 

“We can take the lions, can’t we?” Keith asked urgently. 

 

After Pidge had told Sarah what happened, she knew it would be too late to return to the forest; the druids had captured their bounty by then. Sarah had wasted no time in informing Allura, Oliver, and Keith, who had already been in the control room. 

 

“It’s just too risky to take the lions when the castle is immobile.” she looked to Sarah apologetically. “I’m sorry, I want to rush after and save them, too, but it’s just not a smart move right now. You know Shiro would say the same…..please, I’m trying…” 

 

Sarah nodded wordlessly, staring at nothing in particular. “Do you know where they’re taking them?” she asked carefully. 

 

“Judging by their trajectory….it looks like they’re going to Elysan.” Allura answered, pulling it up in the hologram GUI. “I don’t why they’d go there and not central command….” the Altean bit her lip anxiously. Oliver wrapped their arms around her midsection and she smiled appreciatively. 

 

Sarah stared at the planet impassively for a moment before she abruptly turned and left. She couldn’t wait for the castle to finish being refueled, she needed to go. There was no telling what the druids would do. Likely Hagger was directing them, angry over their kidnapping of her. Sarah didn’t like the thought of Shiro being imprisoned and at the mercy of an angry Dark Witch. 

 

“Sarah!” 

 

She turned, raising a curious eyebrow as Keith ran up to her. 

 

“What are you going to do?” 

 

“What’s it to you?” she asked, a bit harsher than she had intended. 

 

“You’re going to get them right? In White?” He watched her face intensely. “I’m coming with you.” 

* * *

“How can White be invisible visually and on radar?” Keith asked, amazed and confused, as they disembarked. The dark planet hadn’t been too far from where they had landed the castle, which Sarah considered a blessing, but at the same time she wondered why they had refueled on a planet that was so close to the Druid sacred world. 

 

“She can still manipulate quintessence, and with that she can bend light rays and radar signals around her so it looks like she’s not there.” she answered quietly. 

 

They had no difficulty sneaking in, and she found it strange that there seemed to be very few Galran robots patrolling the halls. Her face paled slightly when they reached a wider hall and found the walls covered in the strange markings she had seen only once before. 

 

“These are just like the markings Shiro and I saw….before we fell into that trap….” She gingerly ran her hand across one. “I don’t think is just a run of the mill Galra base, I think this is….some…special place for the druids….” She looked to Keith, her eyes wide and worried. 

 

“C’mon, let’s just….let’s just not worry about that right now.” he said, slightly frantic, as he began running down the hall. She nodded, quickly following. “Can you get a read on them?” 

 

“Probably, but that might also bring a whole swarm of druids on us.” she said grimly. 

 

“I don’t care, we can handle them.” he said fiercely. 

 

“If you say so….” she murmured, remembering how Pidge had described his first encounter with one of Hagger’s druids; it hadn’t gone well. “I need to close my eyes, don’t let me run into anything.” He nodded and she took a deep breath and closed her eyes, exploring the facility. The walls were thick with black quintessence, which made sense, but made it difficult to navigate. She fought through it, looking for the familiar purple signature of her husband. She felt Keith gently pull her to a stop, as footsteps approached and then pass them.  

 

The brief pause allowed her to focus better, and she found Shiro’s signature. Very close to him was a blue, who she took for Lance, and they were surrounded by darkness. “I found them.” she whispered, not opening her eyes. 

 

“Where are they?” Keith asked anxiously. 

 

“They’re being moved….” She began running again as Keith grabbed her hand and led her forward. “Okay they’ve stopped, they’re in a room now.” She was confused by the situation and watched closely. Though she couldn’t see the scene as clearly as if she were there, she could tell that Shiro was forced to his knees in the middle of the room. When she tried to get a closer look, a wave of malice and evil intent washed over her. She slowed to a stop as she became aware of what was about to happen. 

 

Before Keith could ask why she stopped, she screamed. The pain at the thought of losing him, her fear and sadness….her wrath….poured out, echoing throughout. She felt the world quake around her as her emotions violently affected the heavy dark energy around her, manipulating it, making it her own weapon. When she opened her eyes, she found herself in a pitch dark hallway. 

 

“S-sarah…?” Keith asked shakily from a short way in front of her. She turned on her helmet lights just as he did and was taken aback by the sight of the frightened boy in front of her. “What….was that….?”

* * *

Thinking quickly, Shiro rolled away, trying to avoid the druids who were running around almost chaotically. Trying to recall Sarah’s teachings, he closed his eyes and tried to find Lance. He didn’t expect there to be so much black quintessence, but after a moment he found the blue that he knew was Lance. 

 

As some emergency floor lights came on one by one, he slipped his cuffed hands under him and then over his legs before running over to Lance. The druids didn’t seem to be paying them much attention anymore, which was odd but he set it aside for the time being. 

 

“Hey, you okay?” he asked after he reached the Blue Paladin. Lance nodded, staring around wide-eyed. 

 

“What was that?” he asked, as Shiro forcefully broke his cuffs and then broke the young Paladin’s. 

 

“If I had to guess, I’d say it was my wife.” he said, smiling slightly. 

 

“Well what are we waiting for? Let’s go say hello.” Lance quipped. 

* * *

Escaping the room and evading the druids was disturbingly easy. Shiro knew something was wrong, that there was something about the present situation that he couldn’t see, but he was so desperate to see Sarah he shoved it to the back of his mind. He wasn’t sure how to find her in the dark facility, but he figured if they ran to where her scream had originated from, they’d come across her at some point. He didn’t expect to almost collide with Keith. 

 

“Whoa-hey, Shiro! Sarah, he’s here!” he called over his shoulder before almost throwing himself at Lance. 

 

“Shiro!” Turning, he caught her as she jumped, wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his middle, clinging tight. 

 

“It’s okay, it’s okay now…” he repeated, half to her, half to himself. This was the closest he had come to never seeing her again, and he got the sense that she knew that as well. “Where are the others?” 

 

“We kind of uh…snuck away.” Keith said between kissing Lance. 

 

“Allura said it would be too risky with the castle being immobile, it still needed refueling, but I couldn’t…I couldn’t…” Sarah said, her voice quivering. She looked into his eyes, stroking his cheek, and he could tell she was almost overwhelmed with emotion. They kissed for a long moment, both desperate for each other. 

 

“What is it?” he asked when she broke it off abruptly, suddenly alert. 

 

“She’s coming, we need to go.” she said seriously, and he nodded letting her down. 

 

The four navigated the halls as best they could in the low light, trying to get back to White as fast as they could. Keith and Sarah had gotten turned around somewhat in the dark, but were confident they were at least heading in the right direction. 

 

They reached a wider hallway and he saw more of the strange runes on the walls. “What do you think these mean?” he asked the group at large as they ran. 

 

“No idea.” Sarah answered, panting slightly. “But one thing’s for sure, their presence means we’re in druid territory.” 

 

He nodded and was about to respond, but skidded to a halt when Sarah gasped suddenly. Turning, he saw she had come to a stop very suddenly, and was gingerly inspecting something in front of her, confused. When her fingers found it, the force field shocked her, causing her to withdraw hastily. “What the…” he began, approaching it. Keith and Lance slowed as they realised their companions were no longer running. Shiro tapped the invisible barrier with his Galra hand, watching it ripple with what looked like electricity. His and Sarah’s gazes found the glowing purple circle on the floor at the same time, snapping up to meet each other as they realised what it was. 

 

Hagger’s cackling made them turn in synch, looking back where they had come from. Shiro activated his arm, moving to take a defensive stance in front of Sarah. “Pity the circle didn’t work for you, Champion.” the Dark Witch hissed. 

 

“Your magic can’t touch him anymore.” Sarah gloated. “You can’t hurt him ever again.”

 

“Yes, I suspected as much.” Hagger said, her voice dripping with malice. 

 

“What…?” Sarah murmured; glancing back he saw she looked confused and lost. “But how would she…”

 

“I may not be able to touch my Champion with my magic.” Hagger paused, her smile growing wider in a manner that made his stomach flip. “But I can still touch _you._ ” 

 

He spun around when he heard the crackling of electricity, followed by a soft gasp from his wife. “Sarah!” he screamed as she fell, unconscious. He made to reach for her, but the field repelled him. Hagger cackled as he tried forcing his Galra hand through, only to be knocked back several feet. 

 

“It’s futile, Champion. Nothing can cross the barrier while it’s activated.” Suddenly, a dozen druids appeared between him and his trapped, unconscious wife. He felt dread fill him as he realised Hagger’s real plan: he had just been bait to lure Sarah, who was the Dark Witch’s true target. 

 

Keith and Lance helped him to his feet, but he couldn’t understand why they were trying to pull him away. “No!” he said fiercely, shaking off their grip. “I’m not leaving her!”

 

“Shiro, there’s too many of them, I’m sure the castle’s on its way now. We regroup, come back at full force, c’mon…” Lance said meekly, his eyes wide and fearful as he began backing away. 

 

“No! No, we can-”

 

“Shiro…” Keith said softly. He looked to the Red Paladin, whose eyes were sad as he shook his head, backing away as Lance had, urging Shiro to follow. “There’s nothing we can do right now…But we’ll come back. I swear to you.” Keith’s eyes grew serious as he held Shiro’s gaze. “We’ll come back, and we’ll save her, and rain hell down on them all.” 

 

Shiro closed his eyes for a moment, fighting back tears and the feeling of utter helplessness. When he opened them again, a fierce fire danced behind them and he nodded, following the younger Paladins. “We’ll do more than that.” he said savagely. “We’ll kill them all.” 


	85. Rescue

Allura was visibly upset when they reached the castle, and became even moreso when she realised Sarah wasn’t with them. Before she could ask what happened Shiro asked if the castle was ready to go. Upon receiving confirmation he made a beeline for his lion, not wanting to waste another second; he knew all too well what Hagger was capable of and did not want to leave Sarah in her clutches for much longer. 

 

“Look,” he began irritably when Allura kept insisting they make a plan and not act rashly. “I’m not going to force you to come. If you ask me to not take the Black Lion, I’ll oblige. But I’m going. Alone or not, I am _going_.” he said, fiercely glaring at her and daring the Princess to challenge his resolve. 

 

Fortunately the other Paladins were more than willing to accompany him, for which he was immensely grateful. Though he was ready to go alone if he had to, the odds were better if he had allies. 

 

“That hag has Sarah?” Kayla asked, alarmed, having overheard their discussion. 

 

“I’m going to get her back.” he assured her. 

 

“Well I’m coming with.” Krisox said, as he joined him from seemingly nowhere. 

 

“Me too.” Kayla said confidently.

 

“No you aren’t!” Shiro and Krisox said at almost the same time, turning to face her as she froze, taken aback. 

 

“Excuse me?” She crossed her arms across her chest and raised a scathing eyebrow. She looked so much like Sarah in that moment he wanted to just go, arguement be damned; but he knew she wouldn’t likely forgive him if he let her little sister accompany them on a dangerous mission. 

 

“Look, leave it to us, we’ll get Sarah and be back before you know it.” Krisox said, hugging the blonde girl. She huffed angrily before turning on her heel and stalking off. “She’ll get over it, let’s go.” his brother-in-law sighed. 

* * *

“What do you want?” Sarah asked defiantly, trying to mask the fear that bubbled just under her surface. 

 

“I want to know how White Witches work.” Hagger answered, motioning to the druids flanking her. They approached Sarah and took her by her arms, roughly forcing her to her feet. “If you happen to die during my experiments…” Sarah felt a shiver run down her spin as Hagger smiled maliciously; she was reminded of her prophetic nightmare and felt her fear double. “well, that’s a risk I’m willing to take.”

* * *

It wasn’t long before he was back running through the facility. They weren’t sure how to find Sarah, so they had split up. Shiro had teamed up with Krisox, but when druids blocked their path the Dularian insisted the Paladin go while he kept the Galrans busy. He felt he should argue, but knew that would waste time, and so he set off on his own. 

 

“We got her, Shiro, over here!” Pidge called over the comms. 

 

Shiro reached Pidge and Hunk in no time, slowing only because Rover 2.0 had just unlocked the door. When the door had risen enough for him to crouch under he slid in, looking around slightly frantically as his eyes adjusted to the darkness. He found her small form sprawled on the ground and ran to her, kneeling and lifting her into his arms. “Sarah?” he whispered, terrified because she wasn’t responding. He fefll back into a sitting position, cradling her. “Sarah, please…” he pleaded, tears springing to his eyes. He heard the sound of the others fighting draw closer but ignored it, fully focused on his wife whose breathing was shallow and weak. 

 

He felt White reach his mind, concerned for Sarah; he shuddered as the concern turned to horror and grief. “Help me, please.” he cried, not sure if the lion would be able to hear him. “ _Please_ …”

 

After a moment, White gave him visions, instructions for a technique that she was adamant would save Sarah from whatever Hagger had subjected her to. The lion warned him that it was an advanced technique but she would aid him. It involved transferring a portion of one’s own life energy to that of another. “I’ll do anything.” he insisted fiercely. “Just walk me through it.” 

 

The lion did, and after a moment the air around them began to glow. He gritted his teeth, focusing on his quintessence and White’s instructions. “C’mon, c’mon…” he muttered, closing his eyes so he could tune out everything else. After a moment, he heard her breathing return to normal, and she began to stir, just as he began to feel the draining side effects of the magic. 

 

“Shiro…?” she asked softly, confused. 

 

Opening his eyes, he found himself flat on the floor and slightly dizzy. Sarah was crouched over him, her eyes wide with worry. He was so relieved he didn’t care about how weak he felt; he smiled at her, stroking her cheek softly. “You’re okay…” he murmured. 

 

“Thanks to you.” she whispered, leaning down and gently kissing him. 

 

Lost in her lips, it took him a second to realise he was getting some of his strength back. “Hey!” he gasped, sitting up quickly. “What are you doing?” 

 

“Can’t very well carry you out of here, can I?” she quipped. 

 

“But, you-I-”

 

“I leveled us out babe.” She pushed herself to her feet, extending her hand. “Probably leave the magic to the professionals next time.” she teased as he took her hand and pulled himself up. 

 

“Whatever you say.” he murmured, pulling her close and kissing her passionately. Her soft hands framed his face, willing herself closer to him. They both seemed to completely tune out the world around them. 

 

“Hey, that’s sweet and all, and I’m glad you’re okay, but we kind of have a situation out here.” Krisox said from the open door. 

 

Sarah sheepishly pulled away, taking his hand as they both left the cell, ready to face whatever adversity waited for them, together. 


	86. Escape

“WHY. WON’T. YOU. DIE.” Hagger roared upon seeing Sarah and Shiro together. 

 

Sarah couldn’t help but grin at the witch’s anger. “Don’t antagonise her too much.” Shiro said, smirking. “You should probably get out of here before things really get hairy.” 

 

 

She frowned. “What do you mean? I’m not leaving your side.” 

 

“Were you or were you not on the brink of death five minutes ago?” 

 

“Were you or were you not severely weakened from reviving me three minutes ago?” she fired back smoothly. 

 

“You have the most adorable couple squabbles, but I’m with Shiro, sis.” Krisox interjected, his tone wary. “These fucks just keep crawling out of the woodwork.” 

 

Returning her attention to Hagger she saw that the witch had acquired half a dozen druids during her and Shiro’s small disagreement. “Well, we are in druid country.” she murmured. 

 

“Right, well….” Krisox began airily, though his tone still had a sharp, wary edge. He walked over to the closest wall, examining the large rune for a second. 

 

“Sarah!” Allura called out, running up to them from behind. Lance and Keith were close behind; both broke out into relieved grins when they saw her. When Allura reached her the Altean picked her up, hugging her tightly and spinning around. “Are you okay? I was so worried, what happened?” she asked after she set Sarah back down. 

 

“Uh, catch up later maybe?” Shiro said, as Hagger stared them down, furious. 

 

“Right, this should do the trick.” Krisox said, placing his hand on the rune and closing his eyes. The black glowed purple for a second, and then all the runes in the hall were glowing. There was a bright flash and then it returned to normal; the Paladins, Allura, and Sarah blinked, confused. 

 

“Well, that blinded me. Was it supposed to do that?” Sarah asked, raising an eyebrow. 

 

“Nope. Try teleporting.” Krisox  replied with a smart-ass grin. 

 

She tried, only a few feet because she did still feel slightly weak-but couldn’t. “What the fuck?” 

 

“Exactly. Now c’mon, the hags are getting antsy.” he said, taking her hand and leading her away. 

 

Before she could protest, Hagger howled in anger, building up a large, black and purple orb and then lobbing it at them. Reacting almost on instinct, Sarah raised a barrier quickly, causing the dark magic to ricochet back to the dark witches. She didn’t see what happened next, as she passed out immediately after; she had unintentionally pushed herself too far again. 

 

When she came to, she groaned. “Damnit.” she muttered. Whoever was carrying her slowed to a halt. 

 

“You’re real good at that, ya know?” Krisox said, very close to her; he was the one holding her. “Feel like you can stand?” 

 

“Yea…” she murmured, opening her eyes to see where they were. He hovered near her slightly as she stood, as if she were porcelain. “I’m good, Krisox.” 

 

“That’s good to hear.” Pidge said; looking around, Sarah found the small Paladin entering a room just ahead of them. “I wanted to look into something real quick.” 

 

“Is this really the time for hacking Galra shit?” Krisox asked, slightly exasperated, as he and Sarah followed Pidge in. 

 

“Well pretty much everyone else is engaged elsewhere, so, yea, I think so.” 

 

“What are you looking for, Pidgey?” Sarah asked, staring around at the holographic panels curiously. 

 

“Just information. Nothing specific, but this seems almost like the druid’s base, and this _is_ their sacred planet…” 

 

“Oh, speaking of, did we get anything from Hagger?” 

 

“Haven’t had a chance to check.” Pidge said as they got themselves setup. 

 

Sarah nodded, trying to make sense of the Galra interface, to no avail. “Wish we could translate Galra or something.” she grumbled, crossing her arms across her chest. 

 

“Shiro, what was that?” Pidge said suddenly, apprehensive. Sarah looked up, and half a second later realised her cybernetic ear implant wasn’t tuned to the comms channel.  

 

“What happened?” she asked, alert. 

 

“Ah…It was nothing major,” they said, turning to Sarah. “one of the druids broke something, but our team is okay.” 

 

“They broke something?” she asked, frowning. 

 

“Something about the ceiling falling in, our crew is pulling out now.” They hooked Rover 2.0 up to the console they were seated in front of and began the download. “I don’t think I’ll be able to get a whole lot, but something’s better than nothing, right?” 

 

“Yea….” Sarah murmured, staring at nothing in particular; before she could get too lost in thought, her brother pulled her attention to him. 

 

“What are you thinking?”

 

“This just…feels too easy….” She looked to Krisox, her eyes worried. 

 

He nodded in wary agreement. “I get that feeling a lot. But,” he smirked. “I don’t think the witch planned on you escaping again.”

 

Sarah gave him a small smile. “I think I’m succeeding in becoming the biggest pain in her ass imaginable.” 

 

“I daresay you are.” Krisox laughed. 

 

“Okay, let’s get moving.” Pidge said a moment later, unplugging Rover 2.0 from the console. “Lance and Keith have already made it back to their lions.” The siblings nodded, following Pidge’s lead as they began running back through the halls towards their exit. “Yea, we’re almost there.” Pidge said to the others via comms. “We just made a small reconnaissance detour, nothing major-don’t bite my head off, oh my god. This the the Galra home planet and druid HQ, there was a window of opportunity and I took advantage of it. Sue me.” 

 

Sarah giggled to herself at Pidge’s snarky tone as they rounded a corner and came upon an airlock. After adjusting their helmets, they stepped out to board the lions. 

 

“White’s here?” Sarah asked, confused. “But…?” 

 

She and her brother boarded her small lion and she discovered Shiro was at the helm. “She’s letting you pilot her?” she asked excitedly. 

 

“She’s very in-tune with you, she knew you needed help and…she trusts me.” he said, smiling warmly back at her as she approached the chair. She returned the smile, walking around the arms to sit in his lap sideways, wrapping her arms around him and nuzzling his neck. He kissed the top of her head before taking off. “Okay, let’s go home.” 


	87. Need to Recover

“Do neither of you understand the gravity of the state of the universe?” Allura asked angrily. She had been disregarded one too many times recently; this had evidently been the last straw. 

 

When they returned and jettisoned as far away from the Galra planet as they could, White recommended Sarah visit the Aywei system again to recuperate. They weren’t clear what Hagger had done to her, but after the witch invading her mind and ten performing god knows what experiments, Sarah was in need of some rest and cleansing. It was only when Shiro insisted on accompanying his wife amidst Allura’s protests that she burst. 

 

“We can’t risk not having Voltron at our disposal!”

 

“I understand that, but we both almost _died_.” Shiro said, not backing down. “Why don’t you come with us if you’re so concerned over us splitting up?”

 

“I’ve received word that one of Hagger’s robeasts have touched down in a system not far from here, I think she’s testing something, but there are innocents on that planet and it’s our duty to protect them.” the Altean replied fiercely. “We will need Voltron to defeat it!” 

 

“Babe, you probably should-” Sarah began. 

 

“No, no. I’m sorry. I know I have responsibilities as a Paladin, but I just….Right now, I need to be with my wife.” he said firmly. He cradled Sarah’s worried face in his human hand, stroking her cheek gently. “We both came so close to never seeing each other ever again…..I need to be with her, so I can recover too.” 

* * *

The couple left in White the next day, leaving behind them a tense atmosphere. Allura hadn’t budged from her position, and had apparently been too angry and frustrated to see them off. Oliver hadn’t been present either; Sarah assumed Oli was with Allura somewhere. 

 

She absolutely hated having disagreements with her friends. She tended to avoid them at all costs to maintain harmony. She could understand why Allura would want Shiro to stay, but she needed to be selfish, at least for once; husband and wife needed some time alone with each other to heal. 

* * *

“Did White tell you where to go?” Shiro asked after they landed on the same plateau as before. 

 

“Yea. Some time meditating in the cave, and cleansing in the lake should do the trick.” 

 

They began in the cathedral like cave Sarah had first met her mentor in. The couple sat back to back, closing their eyes and meditating until it seemed their hearts beat in sync and long after. They only stopped when their stomachs growled; they laughed over their losing track of time and departed the cave, finding White waiting for them right outside. The lion really was very in tune with Sarah, even at a distance. 

 

After they ate, White flew them over the valley wall to the rejuvenating, crystal clear lake. “Okay, so how do we uh….do this part?” Shiro asked, standing at the water’s edge. Sarah felt herself grow flushed, but was spared explaining when White evidently did it for her. “Oh.” He turned to Sarah, his eyes mildly concerned. “You okay with that?” 

 

She smiled appreciatively; Shiro was very respectful of her desire to avoid complete nudity whenever possible. It made her feel uncomfortable and vulnerable and she hated it. But White insisted that it was necessary for the waters to truly take effect. “I…think so.” she said hesitantly. 

 

Shiro smiled encouragingly  and drew her into a gentle hug, kissing her forehead. “I’ll go first, and I’ll wait in the water and you can take as long as you need to.” He leaned back, cradling her face in his hands, looking into her eyes. “Okay?” he asked softly. She relaxed a bit, nodding, and they shared a sweet kiss. 

 

Shiro called out to her when he was submerged, and she felt her heart begin to race and the back of neck grow hot. Rationally she knew there was no reason to be so nervous; there was no one else on the planet besides her and her husband. And it wasn’t like they hadn’t made love before, but she’d never been fully nude with him before. After she removed everything, she wrapped her arms around her chest and tentatively poked the water with her toe. Surprisingly, the water was comfortable and inviting. She waded out to where Shiro was, wrapping her arms around his middle from behind. 

 

“Hey, Princess.” he said softly, peeking at her over his shoulder. “You feel like going for a swim?” 

 

She smiled up at him and nodded. The rest of the night was sweet, romantic, and rejuvenating; she fell asleep soon after they made love and when she woke, she felt refreshed and cleansed of Hagger’s residual energies. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Oliver was a self-insert OC of a friend of mine, but some time in December they dropped out of the Voltron fandom completely and soon after they stopped talking to me. Since the character is based on a very real person I just really don't feel comfortable including them. So Oliver kind of vanishes in the coming chapters. :/


	88. Tracked

The following day found them in the cave again, meditating once more. The goal this time was to find peace of mind while also being connected to the other’s mind. It proved difficult at first, as Sarah’s mind was almost like a hurricane of thoughts and ideas and Shiro had trouble finding calm in the storm. After he learned how to navigate without being overwhelmed, he felt he could spend eternity perusing his wife’s thoughts and he could tell she felt the same; they were now connected in a way they never imagined possible. 

 

The link was broken when the felt the ground shake beneath them. “This planet isn’t prone to earthquakes, is it?” he asked warily as the ground became still. Shiro stood, offering his hand to Sarah and pulling her up. 

 

“Not to my knowledge….” she said, her eyebrows furrowing in concern. “White says that no, it isn’t. She’s trying to get a read on who it is but we should probably start heading back to the surface.” 

 

Shiro nodded and followed her up the sloping gem corridor. About half way, she stopped suddenly. “Oh goddamnit.” she grumbled, and whether it was because of an intuitive feeling or because they had just linked minds, he knew who had come to the planet; the Dark Witch.

 

“How is that even possible?” he asked, exasperated. 

 

“I don’t fucking kn-” Shiro looked up as she cut off abruptly, her eyes becoming unfocused. 

 

“Sarah?” he asked softly. 

 

“That bitch….” she gasped, reaching her right hand around to feel the base of her head. “That bitch!” 

 

“What is it?”

 

“She put a tracker in me!” Sarah answered furiously. “Absolute _hag_ ….”

 

“Okay, what do we do?”

 

“’We’?” she asked, slightly confused. “Shiro, this entire system is bursting with quintessence. Our witchy abilities are going to be amplified, like, tenfold.”

 

“I’m not letting you face her alone!” he said firmly, gesturing with his Galra arm. “The whole reason we came out here was-”

 

“Wait. Put your hand near the wall again.” Sarah interrupted. 

 

“I-what?” he asked, confused over the seemingly random change of subject. “Like…?” He hovered his Galra hand half a foot away from the gem wall; they both gasped as the wall seemed to respond to it, glowing slightly. He powered his appendage up and touched the wall, jolting back when it glowed bright purple and crackled with electricity.

 

“Huh.” Sarah murmured thoughtfully. “Well that’s interesting.”


	89. Gems

“I’ll be right here, waiting for your signal.” Shiro had said when the reached the top of the plateau. It was the only clear space in the valley, as the floor was covered in thick flora. They hadn’t pegged Hagger for one to want to hide and ambush them; they figured she had pursued them in anger and would want to confront them right off the bat. So the best place for both parties would be the spot with the most visibility. And thus Sarah found herself standing seemingly alone on the plateau’s flat surface, arms crossed over her chest, as she watched the Dark Witch approach. 

 

“Where’s your Champion, White Witch?” Hagger called, stopping a good distance from Sarah. 

 

“He’s around.” she answered calmly, though just under her surface she felt extremely nervous. She wanted to be brave and steadfast for Shiro, but the witch had very nearly killed her and while she couldn’t remember exactly how, the flashes she could recall were terrifying. She was scared, pure and simple. But knowing Shiro was close by, that she wasn’t alone, helped ease her fears. 

 

“You won’t get away this time.” Hagger spat. “I won’t let you.”

 

“See, here’s the thing you don’t seem to get.” Sarah said lightly, stretching her arms behind her head. “I do whatever the fuck I want, and absolutely no one tells me what to do.” _Now, do it now._  

 

A split second later and the exposed gemstones in the plateau began glowing and crackling with electricity. Smiling despite her trepidation, she slid her foot back, bending her knees, as she hovered her hands low and slowly raised them, breaking off pieces of the gemstones beneath the soil and dragging them skyward. When she had a half a dozen floating in the air, she pushed, sending them flying at the Dark Witch. Hagger threw up a barrier of dark energy, sending several of the large gems ricocheting out into the valley. Sarah managed to catch some and throw them in a wide arc, over the witch’s protection. Hagger vanished, and Sarah lost her amongst the dust that had been kicked up. 

 

“Hey, where’d she go?” Shiro called, running up to her. 

 

“I don’t know, she vanished when I threw some gems at her sideways.” Sarah said, panting slightly as she scanned the plateau. 

 

“There he is….I knew he wouldn’t be far.” Hagger said, her voice seeming to come from everywhere. 

 

The couple stood alert, back to back, looking for the Dark Witch. She reappeared twenty feet away, a black and purple orb already formed in her hand.  In the split second before she fired off a beam of dark plasma energy, Sarah created her own orb and held it out in front of them; Hagger’s beam hit it and split off around it. She and Shiro winced at the rush of wind that came with it, blowing dust and debris at them and clouding their vision. 

 

As the dust settled, Sarah noticed the deep scorch marks Hagger’s magic left on the ground around them; they glowed fiery and purple, pulsing slightly. Momentarily distracted, it wasn’t until Shiro called her name that she looked up to see the Dark Witch hurling a chunk of gemstone towards them. Throwing up her hands, she managed to catch it, but the force of Hagger’s magic pushed her back a few feet. Gritting her teeth, she tried to lean forward, pushing against the opposing force of magic, but neither witch was making any headway. Wanting to make some kind of progress, she shifted her direction, causing the boulder to fly off the plateau and tumble into the valley below.  

 

“You okay?” Shiro asked by her side. “You aren’t exh-uh, Sarah, what’s happening?” 

 

All around them on the plateau and in the valley, pieces of earth and gem seemed to be floating away from the planet’s surface. “I….I don’t know.” she said, confused and wary. She could feel the flow of quintessence had become twisted and tangled since they began their battle. But she couldn’t understand what exactly was happening. 

 

A deafening crack sent her hands flying to cover her ears, scrunching her eyes closed in fear. She would have waited till the loud noise was gone if Shiro hadn’t shaken her shoulder frantically. Peeking through her lashes, her eyes flew wide open in fear; Hagger was decapitating a _mountain_. She knew she should do something, but the mountain was still cracking and crumbling loudly, echoing across the valley. She whimpered, clutching her ears ever more tightly. Shiro said something she couldn’t make out and she saw him charge the Dark Witch, powering up his Galra arm. She turned just before he reached her, vanishing as he swiped through the air where she had just been. 

 

The broken off mountain top fell with a loud crash when she vanished, settling back on its base. Sarah cried out in fear, sinking to a crouch. In the back of her mind she knew full well that her fear of loud noises was irrational, but try as she might she couldn’t fight it and it made her useless in some moments. 

 

After a moment, the world became quiet. She felt Shiro’s hand on her shoulder and shakily rose to her feet. “I’m sorry…” she mumbled, staring at her hands which were still trembling slightly. “I’m-”

 

“ _SARAH!_ ”

 

Her wide, confused eyes found Shiro, who hadn’t left where he almost got the Witch and was only now running back to her. If Shiro was there….then who-?

 

Turning slowly, she barely had a chance to react before the Witch, who had taken the form of Shiro in Galra prisoner garb, grabbed her by the neck and lifted her in the air. Her hands gripped the Witch’s Galra arm at her throat as her legs kicked fruitlessly at the air. _What the fuck kind of magic is **this** ….? _she thought as she felt her consciousness ebbing. Suddenly she felt herself flying through the air, and soon after she felt gravity pulling her back, strong arms caught her, their owner grunting slightly. 

 

“Sarah, you okay?” Shiro asked as she groaned. 

 

“That was a mean trick.” she pouted, massaging her neck and glaring at the Witch who still looked like Shiro. 

 

“Yea, she pulled that on me, too, once.” he said grimly, helping her to her feet. “Do you know how-?” 

 

She looked up when Shiro froze, finding him stare in disbelief at the ground as he began to rise in the air. She, too, had begun to leave the ground, and she realised the planet’s gravity was fluctuating wildly. 

 

“Sarah what is this?” he asked trepidatiously, grabbing her hand so they wouldn’t drift away from each other. 

 

“I don’t know!” she cried wildly, looking for Hagger amongst the the floating pieces of rock, gem, and flora that now littered the air. She found the Witch just as confused as they were, now in her true form. Her eyes connected with Sarah’s and she kicked off a nearby boulder, forming a dark, electrified orb in her hand. “Shiro, look out!” she yelled, releasing his hand and kicking off from him, sending them both flying away from each other. Hagger’s beam of dark energy cut through the air where they just were, blasting rocks and gems to pieces. Sarah shielded her face as sharp, jagged debris flew in every direction. 

 

When her back bumped into something large, she twisted in the air, grabbed onto the large piece of amethyst-looking gemstone, pulling herself on top of it and holding on, crouched, as she tried to look around and see where Shiro ended up. Though she couldn’t find her husband, she did find Hagger, who was teleporting from one floating boulder to another, looking for her prey. Sarah carefully released her grip on the stone she was on, miming with her hands and raising it in the air to give herself a better vantage point. Eyeing a decent sized ruby-coloured gem boulder, she held her fists together for a second, focusing on the quintessence wrapping its way around that particular stone, before pulling her hands apart, fingers wide. The gem splintered into a hundred shards, hovering in the air and waiting for her next command. 

 

Just as she found the Dark Witch again, she found Sarah, and the small White Witch flung her hands in Hagger’s direction, sending the flurry of piercing shards at her. They rained down around her, but she deflected them with ease. The two began an almost cat and mouse chase through the sky, sometimes losing their footing as gravity fluctuated again. Both Sarah and Hagger took to turning pieces of the floating earth and gemstones into their own weapons, hurling shard after shard in the direction of their adversary. A few found purchase; Sarah sustained a shallow but long scratch on her arm and she spotted Hagger inspecting a wound on her purple face. 

 

The tables turned as Sarah was in mid-air, jumping from one boulder to another; gravity fluctuated even more violently than before, causing her to miss, her fingers just barely scraping its surface as she flew over it. Hagger seized the opportunity, conjuring a large black and purple orb and firing a thick beam of energy at the helplessly floating White Witch. She barely had time to react, crossing her arms in front of her face to brace herself. The Dark Magic struck her, burning her arms and launching her through the air until she hit a passing boulder, knocking the wind out of her. When she next came to, she was on the solid earth of the plateau again. 

 

Groaning, she pushed herself up onto her hands and knees, sitting back as she held her aching arms. Looking around, she couldn’t see anyone, only bits of earth and gem settling back to the surface as gravity seemed to return to normal. Before she had time to wonder what had just happened, Hagger appeared in the air in front of her, hovering above the wounded and frightened White Witch. 

 

“Now I get to wipe you from universe for good!” she cackled. 

 

Sarah was too exhausted, scared, and hurt to move, her eyes widening in fear as the Dark Witch before her gathered Dark Magic in her hands. _This is it._ she thought, tears springing to her eyes. 

 

“NO!” someone roared angrily from her right. Shiro stopped in front of her just as Hagger fired her Dark Energy; miraculously, his Galra hand blocked the beam, diverting it around his outstretched prosthetic. She saw his feet dig into the earth as he fought against the magic. Hagger tried to put her all into the beam, but she couldn’t sustain it for long. The Dark Witch sank back to the ground as her beam fizzled out. Both glared at each other, panting. “You are never going to touch her again.” he growled menacingly. 

 

Before the Witch could respond, the ground trembled terribly, splitting in several places. Hagger hissed and vanished as the planet’s surface seemed to break apart. “What’s happening?!” Shiro yelled over the cacophony, helping Sarah to her feet and holding on tight lest they both fall over. 

 

“I don’t know!” she whimpered, clinging to him. 

 

They both looked up when a lion’s roar pierced through the chaos. White swooped in, gently scooping them up in her jaws before flying off again. Shiro took to the pilot’s seat as Sarah clung to the back. “I think it’s safe to say this vacation is over.” she said dryly despite her fear. 

 

“I daresay you’re right.” Shiro replied with a nod, carefully navigating the debris filled air. “As soon as we’re out of the system conta-” Both cried out as something blasted White’s side, causing her to tumble through the air. “What was that?” he asked, bewildered. “Did we hit something?” 

 

Sarah closed her eyes, reaching out to White to gauge the cause of the damage. “Hagger!” she gasped, shuddering from her Lion’s pain. “Shiro, White’s hurt and b-bad!” she said as tears began streaming down her face. 

 

“I’m gonna get us out of here, just hang on a bit longer.” he said, gritting his teeth. Soon they were out of the planet’s atmosphere and fast moving out of the system. “Doesn’t look like she’s following us….” Shiro murmured as he checked the scanners. “Just a bit further and we can hail the castle….”

 

Just before they made it out of the system, a wormhole opened before them, too close for them to avoid it. “What….how-?” Sarah shook her head, sharing a concerned look with her husband. “That can’t be Allura, can it?”

 

“No….do you think it’s-?” he began, before being cut off by White’s mental communication with them; she had opened the wormhole, as she desperately needed to get away to heal. They braced themselves as they passed through it, as it wasn’t the most stable of passages. When they reached the other side they found themselves in the atmosphere of a planet, almost falling through the sky. Shiro fought to regain control, just barely pulling up before they struck the planet’s surface, and through great care slowed them down, managing to bring them to a haphazard landing. 

 

 Sarah was out first, running around to inspect the extent of White’s injuries. Her hands leapt to her mouth when she saw the long, black scorch marks on her Lion’s side. Shiro pulled her to his chest as she began crying again. “W-what are we g-gonna do?” she asked shakily. 

 

“We’ll figure something out.” he said soothingly, stroking her hair. “We’ll….we’ll figure…” 

 

“Shiro?” she asked, confused, pulling back to look at him. His hands went to his head as he stumbled dizzily. “Shiro?!” She watched in horror as her husband fell to his hands and knees before collapsing over to one side. She knelt next to him, anxiously checking his pulse. Though she was relieved he was still alive, she looked between her unconscious husband and her wounded Lion, feeling hopelessness wash over her. “What am I gonna do…..?”


	90. Desolate

Shiro lost track of time for a long while. He was in and out, succumbing to frightening fever dreams more often than not. When he was conscious, though only just barely, he remembered being half-carried through the streets of a dilapidated shanty town, Sarah frantically knocking on someone’s door…..and all throughout he felt hot like he was on fire and heavy like he had hundred pound weights dragging him down. He felt chills run up his body off and on, a stark contrast to the heat that was surprisingly uncomfortable. 

 

He wasn’t sure when or how long he had been in and out, but when he regained full consciousness, pale morning light filtered through wooden shutters that looked a hundred years old.Looking around, it looked like he was in a one-room shack, judging by a dingy kitchenette, a pile of folded clothes in one corner, and the two sleeping bodies on the floor with him. One was Sarah, sound asleep in the early morning, and the other he did not recognise. He carefully sat up, and crawled over to the shuttered window, trying to get a look outside. 

 

He saw a narrow dirt road lined with stacked shanty shacks which towered far into the sky. Very little moved, which he didn’t think odd considering the hour, but what struck him as unusual was that, as he continued to observe, absolutely _nothing_ moved. There were no small animals, no pests skittering about as one would typically find where a large number of people lived. He couldn’t tell if there was any kind of breeze, and he couldn’t see anything green, not even weeds or moss. 

 

Sarah mumbling in her sleep drew his attention back to the inside of the shack. He saw her eyebrows knitted close together, her face tense as she dreamed. Though he had likely slept for days and wasn’t tired, he laid down next to her, resting his head on one arm while his draped over Sarah’s midsection, gently pulling her closer to him. She seemed to relax at his touch, her face now soft, a small smile forming on her lips. He closed his eyes, listening to her soft breathing and relishing in the gentle moment; everything had been so stressful lately, it  felt like he hadn’t had any time to stop to catch his breath. 

 

He wasn’t sure when he fell asleep again, but when he next opened his eyes, he found Sarah’s deep blue orbs watching him, crinkling as she smiled. “Hey, sleeping beauty.” she cooed, stroking his cheek. 

 

He chuckled, capturing her hand and turning to kiss her palm before sitting up. “How long was I out?” 

 

“A few days. Four, at most.” 

 

“Where are we?” 

 

“You remember that video I showed everyone, of the planet being drained by Zarkon?” she asked, watching his expression carefully.

 

“Yea….” His eyes widened as it clicked. “We’re _on it_?” Sarah nodded grimly. “But how?” 

 

“Not sure, I think White just picked a place at random.”

 

“No, I mean, there’s still people living here, how can they still be living here?”

 

“By the skin of our teeth, honestly.” a voice said as someone entered the shack. Looking up he saw [the other person](http://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=http%3A%2F%2Fpuellaignava.deviantart.com%2Fart%2FAlien-guy-409479146&t=ZDU3ZmM5ZjdhMGFiM2ZkYmZjZTFkMGU3MzczNDg2ZWY0YWQwOWFhMyxvYkNCbjJTUw%3D%3D&b=t%3AUp-8vRCgTYJDx5VxPdiFaA&p=http%3A%2F%2Fterezisexbuttpyrope.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F153094140855%2Fdesolate&m=0) he had seen sleeping earlier that day. He watched the curious alien unloading the several bags they had been carrying. “When the planet died, those who could, left. Those who could not….” she trailed off sadly. “Sarah,” they began, turning to her. “there wasn’t much, but I got what I could.” 

 

“Thanks so much!” Sarah said gratefully, standing up to look through the bags. “I can definitely work with this.” 

 

“Um…?” Shiro asked, tilting his head, confused. 

 

“I asked Satla to get as many parts as she could, I’m going to try and build a randomised transmitter.” she answered brightly, bringing the heavy bags over and sitting in front of him again. 

 

“We have not been properly introduced, Takashi Shirogane.” Satla said, bowing her head respectfully. “I am Satlawna Killoni Sardus. I belong to the same internet group as Sarah, we watch the skies together.” 

 

“I told you, Satla, you don’t need to be so formal.” Sarah said offhandedly, going through the bags piece by piece. “Satla is the person who sent me the video.” she said to Shiro, glancing up at him. “She was on her way home when it happened. Whatever Zarkon and Hagger did fucked with communications in and around the system, they haven’t been able to get anything fully functional again.”

 

“And since most of those who were skilled in this area left and aren’t coming back, we’ve been in a pickle, to use one of Sarah’s earthian phrases.” Satla said, sitting down, their six eyes watching him curiously. 

 

“If….it’s okay to ask, how have the people who couldn’t leave….how have they been surviving so long?” he asked tentatively. 

 

“Several cartels, who had been headquartered here, began bringing in food and supply imports. They give us what we need to live in return for….whatever they feel like asking for.” Satla grimaced, or he assumed she did; her face was too alien for him to read. “They have taken advantage of our plight.” she said, as her soft, gentle, steady voice grew deep and dark. 

 

He found Sarah watching her friend carefully, her expression serious; when she felt his eyes on her she held his gaze for a moment before returning to the bags. He knew that look all too well. “Sarah….” he began warningly. 

 

“What?” she asked innocently, not looking up as she organised bits and pieces of scrap. 

 

“I know you want to help, and I do too, but we need to focus on the big picture here.”

 

“Yea, but there’s not much we can do about the big picture until I can get a word out or after White heals.” she replied smoothly, not missing a beat. He had a feeling she had rehearsed this conversation in her head, knowing what he’d say. She looked up, holding his gaze. “But we can do something to help these people while we’re here.” 

 

They steadily held each other’s gaze for a long moment, almost having a non verbal argument, before he sighed defeatedly. “Okay, fine. Do you have any kind of plan?” He couldn’t help but smirk slightly as he watched her triumphant face beam at him. 

 

“Not just yet, I need information first. I know next to nothing about these cartels. Satla has plenty of contacts and a good deal of her own information.”

 

“You want me to do some recon?” 

 

“If you don’t mind.” she said with a nod. 

 

“I’ll see what I can do.” 


	91. Anthill

“So do you know what got me so sick?” Shiro asked, as he and Sarah leisurely walked down the main road. Satla had said that one of the cartels were dropping off a shipment of supplies later that day, and he and Sarah were on their way to do some reconnaissance. 

 

“Not really, but I have a theory. I’d need to run it past White first but I haven’t been able to get back to her since we arrived…” she trailed off, watching the ground as they walked. Shiro squeezed her hand, offering her a reassuring smile. 

 

“We’ll get back out to her. She knows we wouldn’t abandon her.” he said confidently. 

 

She returned his smile brightly before continuing. “I think it might have been when you blocked Hagger’s blast there near the end?  I think you might have absorbed some of it.”

 

“Absorbed it?” he asked curiously, raising an eyebrow. 

 

She shrugged. “It’s just a theory. But the powerful spell I hit you with fought back. Kind of like your immune system with bacteria and viruses and stuff.”

 

“Sounds like a solid theory to me. And it makes sense, too. I felt like I had the flu, times ten.” He grimaced dramatically, earning a laugh from his little wife. 

 

“I’m glad you’re better.” she said moving her arms to wrap around his middle and nuzzling his chest. 

 

He chuckled, kissing the top of her head.

 

They soon reached the drop off location, smoothly sliding into an alley across from it and hiding in the shadows. Shiro leaned back against the wall, watching the area hawkishly. Judging by how the people loitered around the area and gripped their guns tightly, the drop off was coming soon. 

 

Sure enough, a few minutes later they heard a large craft dominate the air as the bulky ship flew over them, hovering above the drop off spot. Regular citizens scattered, running inside or ducking into alleys. They seemed fearful of those now unloading the crates, but Shiro noticed that there weren’t very many of them and wondered how many cartels there were and how the people came to fear them so much. 

* * *

“So no one’s really sure just how many there are?” Sarah asked after they had returned to Satla’s shack. The alien had managed to find more pieces of scrap and the small witch resumed trying to put together a randomised transmitter. She had only ever seen someone build one before, but had fiddled with hers many times and was confident she could figure it out. 

 

“Unfortunately.” Satla replied. “I know there are only three cartels. But their members? Uncertain. Some are our friends and neighbours…but since we do not know who, it keeps us in fear.” 

 

Sarah nodded, thinking. Her mind was a confusing whirlwind of thoughts and so she decided to verbally tease them apart. “I think we need something that would get them to….I don’t know….react, a certain way. Like, um….” she paused, staring up at the ceiling as she fought with her memory. “Kinda like in one of the Sherlock Holmes stories. Holmes started a fake fire or something to see what Irene Adler’s knee-jerk reaction would be and it gave her away.”

 

“I’m not sure I’m following.” Satla said apologetically. 

 

“Okay, well, something happens, and everyone in town reacts to it, right? The regular, non-cartel citizens will probably act in a predictable way; they’ll run for cover or hide or just in general try to get out of the way of the perceived danger. But those in the cartels….I’m thinking they’re more likely to be retaliatory. Investigate the source. That’s just….a theory, of sorts.” she said with a shrug. 

 

“We’ll more likely than not be able to test that theory. I have an idea that kind of goes along with it….in a way.” Shiro said, turning a piece of scrap metal over in his hand. “I’m kind of thinking of it like an anthill…..did you ever step on them for fun as a kid?” 

 

Sarah bit her lip, trying to remember her childhood. Most of it was a blur, but she could vaguely remember elementary school. “Yea…I think so….or, if I didn’t, some other kids would. You stomp on it real fast and then watch them come scurrying all over the place?

 

Shiro smiled and nodded. “So basically something like that. Maybe the drop zone can be the anthill, the cartel members the ants…..and we’ll be doing the stomping.”

 

“And I can keep watch to count as they scurry.” Satla added, clapping her hands. 

 

Sarah took Shiro’s flesh hand and squeezed it gently, smiling appreciatively; she knew he wanted to get back to the castle and fulfill his role of a Voltron Paladin, and it meant a lot that he was actively assisting her self-assigned mission. 


	92. Loxley

Just as planned, the couple stomped on the anthill to see what happened. As predicted, there was a flurry of movement as the cartel tried to discover who had caused the disturbance. For a few days, their security seemed tightened. Sarah, Shiro, and Satla took turns monitoring the cartel movements, trying to find any patterns that might exist: shifts, sleep cycles, intragroup problems, etc. 

 

When they had a pretty good idea of the different shifts and the cartel’s security lessened as the supposed threat appeared to be gone, they began stealing small amounts of food and supplies from where the cartel was storing it all. It wasn’t much; just what they could manage in small, hit-and-run type of attacks. As they dispersed the food and supplies throughout the shantytown, a noticeable change in the well-being and demeanor of its inhabitants took place. The cartels caught on after a week, but had no way of knowing what was being stolen from them or how. 

 

When she felt they had a good lay of the land, Sarah suggested they aim bigger with their attacks. When Shiro inquired as to why, she answered. “I want the leaders to be drawn out. I doubt these cartels are as well organised as Nitro, if we can take out the leaders we can probably take out the cartels with them.”

 

Shiro seemed to have faith that her plan would work out in her favour, as most of them did, and they rolled out more intense assaults, actively engaging with some of the cartel members. They also began taking more and more often. Those on the ground seemed woefully inept at keeping their loot secure; Sarah knew it was only a matter of time before someone who was competent and in charge would show up to handle the situation. 

 

It only took a few days of their intensified strategy before someone who fit that description showed up. 

 

“You won’t be able to escape. They will round everyone up for an inspection.” Satla said worriedly. 

 

“We don’t need to escape.”Sarah said simply, toiling away at her randomised transmitter. “I want them to capture us. I’m hoping the cartel leader will come honestly, that’d make everything go a lot faster.”

 

Out of the corner of her eye Sarah saw Satla look to Shiro for help understanding; he readily explained. “Sarah thinks if we can take out the leaders, the cartel will crumble.”

 

“But how will you do that? They are surely heavily armed.” Satla continued, as Shiro’s words seemed to do little to quell her fear. 

 

“We’ve gotten out of tighter spots before.” Sarah said with a shrug. “I told you he’s a Voltron Paladin right?” 

 

“Yes, and he can weaponise it if he so wishes.” Satla said with a nod. “But it is you I worry about. You are small, and I do not remember you professing any kind of combative skill.”

 

As an answer and an example, Sarah rose a small piece several feet away into the air, maneuvering it to her with a wave of her hand. Satla gasped, watching in awe as it seemed to float through the air before Sarah grabbed it and returned to her machine. 

 

“She can be quite the little terror when she wants to be.” Shiro said teasingly, laughing when Sarah playfully shoved him. 

 

Their light moment was interrupted by yelling from the street outside, causing the three to look up in sync. 

 

“Guess it’s showtime!” Sarah said, standing up and stretching. 

* * *

Outside on the street they were corralled in with the other citizens, surrounded by cartel members with menacing-looking guns. A makeshift stage had been set up at the front of the crowd and a tall, slender [insectoid alien](http://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=http%3A%2F%2Friyami.deviantart.com%2Fart%2FReptilian-Insectoid-Alien-349052189&t=NzYyNzc1ZmVhYjNlNDU3NTgxMDJjZDE4NTVjODVhMWE5ZjkyYzYxZix0d2p6YmJXVg%3D%3D&b=t%3AUp-8vRCgTYJDx5VxPdiFaA&p=http%3A%2F%2Fterezisexbuttpyrope.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F153937440620%2Floxley&m=0) observed the crowd before him carefully. 

 

“My money’s on him.” Sarah whispered to Shiro. 

 

“I think you’re right.” he murmured back. “Any particular plan or just wing it?”

 

“Um…I don’t want to reveal our cards too soon, so…maybe no magic, no arm until we know for sure we’re in the presence of the leader.” she suggested as Shiro nodded. “When they spot us-”

 

“How do you know they’ll spot us?”

 

“Look at us, we’re the most well-nourished people here. I could probably pass for a starving citizen, but sorry love, frail you ain’t.” she said with a chuckle. 

 

He sighed. “You got a point there. Sorry, you were saying?”

 

“When they spot us, I don’t want them to suspect anything, so uh….I guess act….convincing….?” She paused for a moment. “Says the girl who can’t act worth a damn….”

 

“I wouldn’t necessarily say that. You can be very convincing sometimes.” Shiro assured her, taking her hand in his.  She smiled appreciatively up at him before they both turned their focus back to the front. The insectoid’s gaze landed on them, his small, beady green eyes narrowing as they did not avert their own gaze. “I think we’ve been spotted.” Shiro said, smirking slightly. 

 

Sarah watched as the green insectoid motioned to some of the members surrounding the group. “Yes, I daresay we have.” she agreed lightly. 


	93. Together

Sarah thought they made a pretty good show of resisting; she had just tried to act naturally, reacting to getting manhandled with whimpers and “Please don’t hurt us”’s. Shiro was more physical, fighting back just enough for it to be believable but not so much that they couldn’t restrain him. After heavy, metal cuffs were slapped on them both, the [insectoid](http://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=http%3A%2F%2Friyami.deviantart.com%2Fart%2FReptilian-Insectoid-Alien-349052189&t=YzMyOGE2NmIzNzgyYjBiNjIwYjU2M2RmZDViZWJjMjczMTkxMDNiYyxYQ2VOOExneQ%3D%3D&b=t%3AUp-8vRCgTYJDx5VxPdiFaA&p=http%3A%2F%2Fterezisexbuttpyrope.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F154193867405%2Fok-come-on&m=0) led the way to a large, decrepit hangar where his ship was housed. It wasn’t a large ship, just a bit smaller than the White Lion, and Sarah figured that the cartel’s main ship was orbiting the planet. 

 

Her guess proved right: the insectoid’s ship docked inside a large vessel, and when they disembarked they were met with several armed guards. Once again, the insectoid led the way, this time through dimly lit, rust-coloured halls that had chemical stains on them. 

 

Upon reaching a large, grandiose door, it opened suddenly, splitting in half and sliding into the wall, revealing a large lounge room. As they were led in, Sarah made note of all the different aliens staring at them, trying to determine which one was the boss. She soon found she didn’t have to, as he made himself known very soon after they entered. 

 

“Are these them?” [the yellow-green alien asked](http://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=http%3A%2F%2Fneo-br.deviantart.com%2Fart%2FThane-Krios-154676097&t=NjAwYzZkZjVjMjNjYzcyMDdhM2NiNDI5MGU3NjUwNmM5YmRiMDY2ZCxYQ2VOOExneQ%3D%3D&b=t%3AUp-8vRCgTYJDx5VxPdiFaA&p=http%3A%2F%2Fterezisexbuttpyrope.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F154193867405%2Fok-come-on&m=0), his black, pupil-less eyes roving over them both. 

 

“Yes.” the insectoid hissed. “I am most sure. Look at the tall one; he is well nourished and healthy. He does not originate from Fyluh.” 

 

“But the small one? She is frail-”

 

“She was with the tall one, they were holding each other.”

 

“I see, I see…”

 

“I wish I knew what they were saying….” Shiro whispered, and it hit her that they were speaking an alien language-her earpiece had automatically translated it for her. 

 

“The one with black eyes is just confirming that we’re the ones they were looking for.” she murmured so only he could hear. 

 

“How do you-?”

 

“Earpiece.” she whispered, barely moving her lips. “It auto-translates. Made life easier in our early days on Stiea K2.” 

 

“So,” the boss said, turning to face them. “What do we do with saboteurs who come from off-world?” He looked between them, almost as if he were expecting an answer. “I’ll give you a hint….” he took a step toward them, leaning in close. “It’s very painful.” Sarah watched impassively as his lips curled into a sickening grin. He straightened up and turned to the insectoid. “Take them to the holding cells and prepare the chamber. Have the broadcast setup and ready, so we can teach the locals what happens when you interfere in our business.” 

 

The insectoid nodded and motioned to the guards beside them, who gruffly turned them around and pushed them through the halls. Upon reaching the holding cells, a large grate door was raised and the two were shoved into a grimy, cramped room. The door was lowered quickly, hitting the floor with a clang and a click as the locking mechanism took hold. All but two of the armed guards departed. Sarah and Shiro huddled near the back to plan their next move. 

 

“So what did he say at the end?” Shiro whispered, keeping an eye on the two guards posted just outside. 

 

“He hinted at torture and they intend to broadcast it to the citizens. Teach ‘em a lesson sort of thing.” Sarah replied casually, her eyes darting around as she took in the environment. 

 

“Well that doesn’t sound pleasant.” Shiro sighed, leaning against the back wall. “Can you get a read on how many members there are?” 

 

“Already did, there’s approximately 72.” 

 

“Not exactly the best odds but I think we can manage, yea?” he asked, smiling when she nodded. “So what do we do now?” 

 

“I was hoping to hear what you think we should do.” 

 

“Hmmm….our goal is the boss, that black-eyed creep, right?” 

 

She nodded. 

 

“We might need to take out most of his guys first. He might be a handful by himself, I’d rather not risk having his crew still freely moving about.” 

 

“Okay.” she said, nodding again. “We could probably throw em in here. And the other cells. They seem like they can hold non-magic folk well enough.” Sarah smirked as she brought her previously handcuffed hands to her front, discarding the heavy cuffs. “Shall we begin?” she asked as she removed Shiro’s cuffs. 

 

“Ladies first.” he answered with his own smirk. 

* * *

“You’d think these guys have never had to face a witch before.” Sarah said jokingly, as she locked up another member of the cartel. 

 

“Well, i have heard they’re a rare breed.” Shiro said, wrapping his arms around her middle and kissing her neck. 

 

“Shiirrooo, this is neither the time nor the place.” she whined, though her smile betrayed her. 

 

He smiled against her skin before moving to the console to check the locks. “Okay, I think we got everyone besides the boss, that insect alien, and a few others.” 

 

“Alrighty. I can probably subdue his mates if you want to just rush him? Whatever you think is best, I’m flexible.” Sarah said, stretching. 

 

“That sounds good to me.” he replied, activating his Galra arm and plunging it into the console, ensuring no one would be able to escape easily. After he pulled his hand out of the sparking wreckage, he joined his wife as they made their way to the room with the grandiose door. “Are they on high alert?” Shiro asked when they reached it. 

 

Sarah closed her eyes and explored the room. She found five or six armed aliens, the insectoid and the boss, all facing the big door. “Yep. And they’re all looking this way. Armed to the teeth.” She rested her hands on her hips and looked up to him. “Wanna use the front door or find another way in?” 

 

“Hmmm…..Your shield can block plasma bolts right?” 

 

“Yea.” 

 

“Okay, then i have an idea.”

* * *

After Shiro was in position, Sarah slowly opened the door, still maintaining a quintessence shield in case they opened fire. Which they did. Everyone except the insectoid and the cartel boss attacked her, until enough of the plasma bolts bounced off her invisible barrier and ricocheted around the room. 

 

“Stop, stop, you’ll kill us all!” the boss yelled, ducking and shielding his face. When the ruckus died down, he straightened up and glared at her. “Just what _are_ you?” he growled. “And where is your mate?”

 

Before she could answer, Shiro had his activated purple arm around the yellow-green alien’s neck. When he gasped, all the others in the room turned, raising their weapons. “I wouldn’t do that. Not if you want your boss to live.” Shiro said to the room at large. “Tell them to lower their weapons.” 

 

“Do it, do it, lower them!” he said frantically, frozen in fear. One by one his crew gently dropped their weapons on the floor. As soon as they touched the ground, Sarah scooped them up into the air, bringing them together. When she had them all, she moved the bundle through the air, stopping behind her and holding it hovering in the air. 

 

“Very nice. Okay, here’s what’s gonna happen….” Shiro began. 

 

* * *

“You’re back-alive!” Satla gasped in astonishment after they landed the insectoid’s craft back in the hanger. “How? Where’s the cartel?”

 

“We took care of them.” Sarah said proudly as Shiro shut down the ship’s systems. “They won’t be coming back. One down, two to go, right?” 

 

Satla nodded in amazement. “I do not understand….it was only two of you against a cartel!”

 

“We kind of blind-sided them. They didn’t see us coming at all.” Sarah giggled as Shiro joined them. 

 

“Hopefully word doesn’t spread, otherwise the other cartels might use special precautions.” he said, taking Sarah’s hand in his. 

 

“Oooh, that is a good thought.” she said, mostly to herself, tapping her chin thoughtfully. 

 

“Still, we can handle it.” he said confidently. Shiro brought her hand to his lips, softly kissing her fingers, a twinkle in his eye. “Together, I think we can handle anything.”


	94. Unexpected Visit

The second cartel went down easier than the first. They were surprisingly incompetent. A week after they sent the first cartel packing, they had outed and forced the second off world. 

 

“How’s the randomised transmitter coming?” Shiro asked one afternoon after he had helped Satla distribute food. He deposited a few scrap pieces of tech beside her as she toiled away.

 

Sarah paused, taking the small flashlight out of her mouth. “Well enough I suppose.” she sighed. “I got the booster working, so we can contact a few surrounding systems now instead of just this one. But there’s no point if I can’t hide the signal….”

 

“Can you maybe get a coded message out?” 

 

“Technically, yea. I’ve got morse code SOS broadcasting. You don’t think the Galra will know what that is….do you?” she asked, looking at him worriedly. 

 

“I think it’s pretty obscure. But then, would anyone else pick up on it?”

 

Sarah stared at the floor pensively. “UniPeace has ties to the various human organisations….I’m also kinda hoping Krisox might pick up on our activities.” 

 

Shiro frowned, confused. “What do you mean?”

 

“Well…I hear he has connections to the criminal underworld….I imagine the cartels we’ve booted will be making noise.” she said with a smile.

 

“Oh, that is a good point.” Shiro said, returning her smile. 

 

They both looked up as Satla entered. “Ah, Shiro. I was hoping to request your help. But first, Sarah,” she walked over and set down a hand-sized metal box. “I found in one of the ships left behind.” 

 

“Oh my god, thank you! This might be exactly what I need….” Sarah said excitedly, sticking the small flashlight in her mouth as she got back to work. 

 

“What’d you need, Satla?” Shiro asked, standing up. 

 

“I think I found something that might help your White Lion ship.” she answered, motioning for him to follow her. “But it is most heavy.” 

 

“Gotcha. Lead the way.” 

 

As they left, Sarah closed her eyes and reached far out with her mind to White. She had finally managed to return to her Lion after they booted the first cartel, and White had told her what she needed. Ever since, she had been mentally communicating with her Lion everyday. She connected now, informing her that Satla and Shiro were on their why; White was most relieved. Sarah smiled and opened her eyes, returning to her work. 

* * *

“White’s doing a lot better.” Shiro said that night as he and a tired Satla returned. 

 

“That’s great!” Sarah said relieved, smiling brightly. “I think I have good news, too. The randomised transmitter is scrambling the signal like it’s supposed to. Now I just need to find a few relay points and I should be able to connect to the internet at large.” 

 

“That’s great!” he said, sitting next to her and kissing her cheek. “Things are really…” He trailed off as they all looked up; it sounded as though a small craft was hovering above them, landing on the roof. 

 

“ _Krisox?!_ ” Sarah gasped incredulously. She jumped to her feet and ran up the rickety stairs to the flat roof, closely followed by Satla and Shiro. When she stepped into the night air, she found a seemingly empty rooftop; she knew it was his ship’s cloaking. A second later a hatch opened from the empty air and her alien brother stepped out. 

 

“Sarah, thank fuck.” he said, relieved, when he saw her. She hurried to him and they hugged tightly. “What the fuck happened? I thought you guys were only going to be recuperating for a few days.” 

 

“We got a surprise visit from Haggar.” Shiro said grimly. 

 

“C’mon, let’s go inside.” Sarah said, releasing her brother. 

 

After they returned to Satla’s flat and Sarah and Shiro explained all that had transpired, it was Krisox’s turn. 

 

“How’d you find us?” Shiro asked, leaning forward. 

 

“You can’t make ripples in the criminal underworld and not have it fly under my radar.” he said cheekily. “Speaking of which,” Krisox turned to Sarah. “There is a massive ugly storm headin this way and you need to get out before it gets here.” 

 

“What do you mean?” she asked, frowning. 

 

“The big cartel that has dominion over these parts have noticed what you’ve been doing. And they are not happy. They aren’t like the weak sauce cartels you sent packing; they will bring the hammer down on you as hard as they possibly can.” 

 

“We can’t stop now, Krisox!” she said indignantly. “I just got the randomised transmitter working, I’m going to contact UniPeace as soon as I can so they can keep helping these people. But I can’t leave with them still suffering.” 

 

“Sarah, you are a fucking saint, I get that, but you are not prepared for this fight in the slightest.”

 

“So prepare me! Tell me what you know, what I need to know, help us out!” 

 

Krisox looked away before sighing. “I can’t openly get involved. Nitro and Willix….we have a tense treaty that states we aren’t allowed to get involved in the others’ affairs. I’ll tell you what I can but I can’t be here when they come.” 

 

“That’s fine, do what you have to. But I’m not leaving. Not until my work here is done.” she said fiercely, arms crossed over her chest.

 

The siblings glared at each other for a moment before Krisox rolled his eyes. “You’re a pain in the ass, ya know?” 

 

She smiled triumphantly. “Yea, I know.”


	95. The Last Cartel

“Sarah, Krisox might be right….This sounds too big for us to handle alone….” Shiro suggested a few days after her brother arrived. 

 

“What happened to ‘together we can handle anything?’” she asked shrewdly, still fiddling with the randomised transmitter. 

 

“I didn’t expect us to be up against an organisation whose influence is as widespread as the Galra’s.” he smoothly noted.  

 

She didn’t have a response for that. It was true that the cartel, Willix, almost rivaled Nitro and the Galra Empire in power and influence. Neither of them had counted on that. But she was determined; it physically pained her to think of the people suffering. She was confident she could help and so she was going to try. 

 

“We have to do something, Shiro. And we may very well be some of the only ones who can do something.” she said softly after a long silence. 

 

“I know.” he sighed. “It’d be nice if we had…well more than just us. If we had UniPeace at our backs, or even Voltron….though Voltron might be overkill.” he chuckled, earning a smile from her. 

 

“Krisox said he boosted our signal and connected to some relay points….it’s only a matter of time before UniPeace picks up on it.” 

 

“But would they get here in time?” 

 

“I don’t know.” she whispered. 

* * *

“I think the one thing that could work in your favour would be taking out the boss. Willix isn’t like Nitro; their boss is kind of like an earth king. Succession passes to his heirs, only, he doesn’t have any and he never nominated one.” Krisox said, pulling up profiles from his phone.  

 

“How does that work in our favour?” Shiro asked. 

 

“If he dies, who takes over?” Sarah postulated, a sly smile gracing her lips. 

 

Krisox nodded. “The cartel would be reduced to in-fighting and tear itself apart. As far ras I can tell,” he sighed, leaning back on his hands. “that’s your only hope of defeating Willix.” 

 

“How do we draw him out?” Satla asked, watching Krisox’s face closely. 

 

“I don’t think you’d have to, honestly.” 

 

Sarah frowned. “What do you mean?” 

 

“Well, my intel network has dug up some evidence that implies Zarkon and Willix made a deal of some kind. They aren’t exactly working together, but they’d have some access to Galran databases, and let’s face it,” he smirked. “you two aren’t that hard to notice. My money’s on him coming personally to make sure you two are captured securely so he can take you to Zarkon. For a price, of course-but I don’t think Zarkon would spare any expense.” 

 

Sarah nodded pensively. “So just wait until he gets here and take him out.” 

 

“To put it simply….yea. Though I hope you’ll have more of a plan than that.” 

 

She chuckled, play punching her brother. “You know I do.”

* * *

Over the following days, Krisox told them all he could about Willix. When his ship’s sensors picked up a fleet approaching the planet, Sarah had expected him to leave, but he insisted on staying; he wanted to be close by, ‘just in case’. 

 

One large ship broke away from the fleet, descending to hover in the planet’s atmosphere. A handful of smaller ships spewed forth, circling the shanty city a few times before settling down, each on a different street. 

 

Sarah and Shiro waited in the middle of one of the larger streets; Krisox had said they wouldn’t hesitate or even give any warning before killing innocent bystanders, and she wanted to avoid that. Four ships landed, two on either side of them; the troops that emerged quickly surrounded them and brought them in with little struggle. If Krisox’s warnings were true, there wasn’t any point pretending to not be them. 

 

The heavily armed aliens outnumbered them twenty to one; whoever ran Willix was not in the vicinity of fucking around when it came to them. And he seemed very impatient; they were standing before him in under a half hour. 

 

[The bulky alien](http://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=http%3A%2F%2Fgottsnake.deviantart.com%2Fart%2FAlien-4-COLORed-649372663&t=MmI2NjJlMGI2ODJjMmQzYjUxNGFiMjE1M2NlOGFlMmVmNDIzYWZiOSxTUDF5Mk4xMw%3D%3D&b=t%3AUp-8vRCgTYJDx5VxPdiFaA&p=http%3A%2F%2Fterezisexbuttpyrope.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F154411263420%2Falmost&m=0) watched as they entered. Sarah couldn’t see his face, or even an inch of skin; his entire body was covered in clothing, armour, or mechanical apparatuses. It seemed he was taking the cyborg route to immortality. 

 

He observed them both before he spoke. “You are smaller than I had expected, White witch.” His voice was muffled slightly, and had an unnerving robotic element to it. “Right, well, let’s get all our cards on the table, shall we? There’s no way you two would have just given up like that. Where’s your accomplice?” 

 

Sarah felt herself grow nervous; _How did he know?_ But she kept her face blank. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” she began, surprised by how level her voice was. “We learned that you would not hesitate to murder civilians without warning. We want to avoid bloodshed as much as possible, and saw this as the proper course of action.” 

 

“Right, and how did you learn that we murder civilians?” 

 

Sarah blinked, thrown off by his question; luckily Shiro covered for her. “We interrogated some of the other cartels before sending them off world.” 

 

“I see, I see…..so we got some squealers amongst our ranks, eh?” he asked, looking around the room, his glowing orange eyes piercing into everyone present. “Good cover. Very good. No matter.” he turned back to them. “I will find your accomplice. And you will watch them die. Then, you will be taken to Zarkon. I hear his witch has special plans for _you_.” He gestured to her with one of his robotic fingers. “Oh, but before you go….” He nodded to someone behind her, and suddenly a needle was in her neck, injecting god-knows-what. She cried out in pain, but her world grew foggy; she heard Shiro calling for her, then she was carried down a hall, then she was lying on the cold floor….

 

When her world balanced out, she rubbed her sore neck and sat up. “What was that?” she grumbled, looking around. She and Shiro were in separate cells, facing each other across a small hallway. His arms were chained above him against the wall. 

 

“They sure did see us comin.” he said grimly. “He said he injected you with something that subdued your magic. Are you okay?”

 

“The injection site is sore and my head’s pounding, but otherwise I’m okay.” she murmured. She silently prayed Satla had boarded safely; she was their only shot at getting out and killing the boss. Her eyes roamed before landing on the hefty cuff around Shiro’s Galra arm. Her brows furrowed. “What’s that on your wrist?”

 

“Some kind of magnetic inhibitor.” He nodded when her eyes grew wide. “They saw us coming from _miles_ away.”

 

She opened her mouth to speak, but was silenced by the sound of a heavy metal door banging open. The cartel boss entered, followed by four others. He stopped at Sarah’s cell door, his back to Shiro; he was focused solely on her. 

 

“Your accomplice is very skilled. I haven’t detected them yet. But it is only a matter of time. I’m wondering if I can speed up the process.” He waved his hand over the lock, causing the door to open inwards. Sarah rose to her feet, backing up until she hit the wall behind her. He towered over her, stopping only a foot in front of her. 

 

“Don’t you touch her!” Shiro yelled fiercely. 

 

“And what will you do if I do not comply?” the hulking man in front of her said without turning around. He leaned forward, his masked face only a few inches from her. “Who is your accomplice?” 

 

She nervously shook her head. “T-there isn’t one.” she insisted meekly. 

 

“Tsk, tsk.” he murmured. “I don’t know if we can make you talk. But let’s see if we can make him talk.” 

 

“Wha-?!” she began, before gasping; the boss grasped her neck, raising her into the air. She spluttered, gasping for air, clutching the metal hand wrapped around as her legs kicked the air fruitlessly. 

 

“Stop!” Shiro screamed; she could hear him straining against his restraints. “Please, just, stop, she’s telling the truth!” 

 

“I think not.” the boss said calmly. “You need to do better, Champion.” 

 

“Ridel.” one of his men said from outside the cell; she could only just barely make it out, as she felt consciousness slipping. “Krisox is here, he says he has intel for you.”

 

“Krisox?” the boss, Ridel, said, confused and intrigued. “Bring him here, I’m not done.” Just before she felt she was going to pass out, Ridel threw her against the back wall; she cried out in pain, sliding down to her hands and knees. Sarah gasped for air, trying to make sense of what just happened. _What the fuck is Krisox doing here? He said he couldn’t get involved…_

A moment later, she heard her brother’s boisterous voice. “Ridel, long time no-Oh, so it really is true then.” It took her a moment to get her vision to focus through her still watery eyes; Ridel was outside her cell now, closing the door, as he faced her brother. 

 

“What’s true?” he asked gruffly as Krisox stopped before him. 

 

“Rumour had it that the White Witch and the Black Paladin were causing a ruckus in these parts.” 

 

“Ear to the ground as usual.” Ridel murmured. “You have intel for me?”

 

“How’d you nab em?” Krisox continued, peering into her cell. 

 

“Supposedly they heroically gave themselves up. Got em subdued with inhibitors; serum for the witch and a magnetic cuff for the paladin. Now answer my question.”

 

“Wha-? Oh, right, right.” Krisox straightened up. “A certain mutual lady friend of ours has caught wind of who is here and who has come to grab em and who that someone will take them to. She wants them herself.”

 

“Really now….” Ridel scrutinised Krisox for a moment before replying. “And why are you suddenly so altruistic?” 

 

“Whaaat, a friend can’t help out a friend? Like I hope you, my friend, will when Nitro inevitably goes to absorb Reign?” 

 

“That’s what I thought. Very well.” Ridel gestured out. “Do you know where she intends to take my prizes?” He, Krisox, and all but two of the others exited the cell block.

 

“Well as I’m sure you know I’m not exactly her confidant, but my sources say…” her brother’s voice trailed off as the door closed behind them. 

 

“Are you okay?” Shiro asked as soon as they were gone. Her gaze found him, straining against his restraints to be as close as to her as he possibly could. 

 

“Yea….” she said breathlessly. “Yea.” _Lucky Krisox showed up._ she thought to him over their connection. 

 

_Any idea what he’s planning?_ Shiro asked, concerned. She shook her head. Shiro sighed and looked over to the two aliens standing guard. _Any idea where Satla-?_

He cut off when the door opened again and [Satla](http://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=http%3A%2F%2Fmoawallin.deviantart.com%2Fart%2FAlien-guy-409479146&t=NmU5YjhiNGMwOGJkYjMyZjlmOWFmZmZiOWRmMTgxOWUwYzJkZjFhMyxTUDF5Mk4xMw%3D%3D&b=t%3AUp-8vRCgTYJDx5VxPdiFaA&p=http%3A%2F%2Fterezisexbuttpyrope.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F154411263420%2Falmost&m=0) entered. She subdued the guards with surprising ease. “Sorry I took so long. They have heightened security with you two on board.” 

 

“Don’t worry about it.” Sarah said, still massaging her throat. 

 

“Are you okay?” [Satla](http://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=http%3A%2F%2Fmoawallin.deviantart.com%2Fart%2FAlien-guy-409479146&t=NmU5YjhiNGMwOGJkYjMyZjlmOWFmZmZiOWRmMTgxOWUwYzJkZjFhMyxTUDF5Mk4xMw%3D%3D&b=t%3AUp-8vRCgTYJDx5VxPdiFaA&p=http%3A%2F%2Fterezisexbuttpyrope.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F154411263420%2Falmost&m=0) asked, her six eyes blinking in concern as she opened Sarah’s cell door.

 

“Yea, I’ll be fine.” the small human assured her, pushing herself up to her feet. “The boss, Ridel, got a little rough interrogating me.”  

 

“My apologies.” Satla repeated guiltily as she opened Shiro’s cell door. 

 

“Don’t be, dear, there’s nothing to apologise for. You’ve performed phenomenally.” Sarah insisted, inspecting the downed guards. She saw her friend nod appreciatively out of the corner of her eye as Satla undid Shiro’s restraints. 

 

“It seems the keycard I stole does not work on his cuff.” 

 

Sarah turned and stood, frowning. “If he’s as thorough as I think he is, Ridel is the only one who can remove it.” 

 

“I don’t need Galra tech to hold my own.” Shiro said confidently, walking over to her and kissing the top of her head. 

 

“I know you don’t, babe.” Sarah said with a smile. “Let’s get going.” 

* * *

“This isn’t exactly one of your more solid plans.” Shiro whispered as they crouched in a maintenance shaft, watching the hall below them through vents. 

 

“Yea, you got me there.” Sarah murmured. “But we were kind of going in blind…how do you make a solid plan for that?” 

 

“I’m sure if anyone could make one it’d be you.” he said, smirking cheekily which earned him a light elbow jab. “Hey, careful!” 

 

Sarah stuck her tongue at him before turning to Satla. “Can I see the map again?” Her friend nodded, pulling up the holographic display for the hundredth time. 

 

“Sarah, you almost have that thing memorised. Do you think it changes in the five seconds since you last looked at it?” Shiro whispered, slightly exasperated. 

 

“I don’t know…I just keep feeling like I’m missing something….” she murmured, her eyes scanning the flickering blue map. 

 

“I cannot imagine what that would be, as you have studied it many times.” Satla input, watching her friend curiously. 

 

Sarah sighed. “Yea. Why don’t we…see if we can get into the control room with him in it and lock the doors maybe?” She shrugged. 

 

“Worth a shot.” Shiro said with a nod, turning and crawling along the shaft towards the bridge. 

* * *

The shaft ended just outside the bridge, emptying into a large room full of mechanical equipment. The three stayed low behind some of the louder machines as they planned what to do to get inside the control room. They had no weapons, but Shiro offered to take some guys out and take theirs. He was gone and back in almost no time at all, carrying two hand blasters and a rifle in one hand, and dragging a passed out alien with the other. 

 

“This is gonna go very fast.” he said after giving the girls the hand blasters. “You cover one end of the hall and I’ll cover the other, Satla, you get the door.” He paused just a moment, watching Sarah carefully. “Ready?” 

 

Her wide eyes met his gaze and she nodded firmly. 

 

Shiro took care of the three guards in front of the bridge door, allowing Sarah to cover her end of the hall and Satla to hurry to the door. The keycard she had stolen opened it in no time, and the three rushed in, now directing their fire towards those inside as Satla hastily closed and locked the doors behind them. When all was said and done, three aliens were down for the count and two were cowering behind control panels. Ridel and Krisox were towards the front by the massive window; her brother had ducked when they entered guns blazing, but Ridel didn’t seem to have flinched. 

 

“Ha! I knew it. You little liars.” he said triumphantly. Sarah shared a confused and concerned look with her husband, keeping her blaster focused on the cartel leader. 

 

“Dude, they’re pointing guns at you.” Krisox said dryly, rising from his hiding place. 

 

“Blasters do not scare me. I can recover.” He rolled his shoulders back. “Thank you for revealing your accomplice. I look forward to yours faces as you watch her die.” 

 

“You aren’t touching her.” Sarah snarled fiercely. 

 

“And who’s gonna stop me?” he chuckled, advancing towards them. 

 

Shiro instinctively blocked his path, swinging his rifle when it did in fact prove ineffective. Sarah pulled Satla behind her as the two fought. 

 

“Shiro!” she gasped when Ridel kicked him hard over a row of control panels. The boss turned to her, advancing as she backed up fearfully. Guns didn’t work and she couldn’t use magic; she had absolutely nothing to fight back with. She whimpered when her back hit the wall; she couldn’t think of an escape, her mind clouded by bone-chilling fear. 

 

“Not so tough without your magic, eh, Witch?” he sneered, smacking the gun out of her hands, roughly grabbing her neck and hoisting her into the air again. “I think I’ll crush your windpipe this time.” 

 

She closed her eyes, struggling in vain; she felt herself gasping for air and heard herself cry out in pain when he began to squeeze tighter….

 

And then she was on the ground, coughing and spluttering as she tried to understand what just happened. Ridel also looked confused, hovering immobile in the air as he was. 

 

“Sorry, mate.” Krisox said angrily. “No one touches my family.” 

 

“What?!” Ridel roared angrily. “This bitch is your sister?” 

 

“Yes, and language like that is uncalled for.” her brother replied smoothly. “Sarah, you okay?” 

 

“Y-yea.” she gasped out, still recovering. 

 

“You back stabbing piece of shit.” Ridel growled, still hovering in the air. Sarah delicately rose to her feet and slipped through the control consoles to Satla, taking her friends frightened hand. 

 

“Yea, whatever, as if that’s novel in our line of work.” Krisox said dismissively, still holding his hands up as he kept Ridel in the air. “Yo, Shiro, you okay dude?” 

 

“Yea, yea, I’ve had worse.” she heard Shiro say from across the room. 

 

“I’m sure you have. Okay, now wha-aaughh!!” 

 

“Krisox!!” Sarah screamed as her brother fell to the ground, convulsing. She ran to him just as the alien who had jabbed him with a dart scurried away. Sarah quickly removed the dart, tossing it to the side. Suddenly, Satla was by her shoulder. 

 

“Let me look.” she said; Sarah squeezed out of the small space between consoles, allowing her friend to inspect her unconscious brother. 

 

“Sarah…” Shiro said slowly. Looking up, she found Ridel picking himself up from the ground. 

 

“You lot just royally fucked up. Let’s take a trip, eh? Right into the ground. Whoever survives wins.” he growled maliciously, flicking a few switches and slamming a button down. 

 

Suddenly, the ship was making a nose dive, plunging towards the planet surface. Shiro stumbled to the pilot seat, trying desperately to pull them up, to no avail. Sarah had herself braced between two consoles, watching as the planet’s surface grew closer with widening eyes. 

 

At the same time, an odd sensation washed over her. She felt herself reconnect with the quintessence around her. Thinking quickly, she made a quintessence barrier bubble around her party, bracing herself for impact; the barrier would absorb most of it, she knew that much. According to her studies, it would allow them to tumble gently. According to her studies. 

 

She closed her eyes tightly as the ground rose to meet them, focusing on her barrier. The crash was deafening, exploding all around them. She felt herself thrown through the air, before hitting something solid and firm and blacking out. 


	96. Loss

Satla slowly pushed her aching body up, gently rising to her feet. She stumbled slightly as she looked around in awe at the wreckage that surrounded her. Luckily, the ship crashed on the outskirts of the city, where no one lived. Only a handful of vacant buildings occupied this area-or had occupied this area. The ship’s wreckage was strewn about everywhere she looked, small fires fighting for life amongst the twisted metal. Satla’s six eyes scanned the wreckage, looking for living bodies she recognised. She found Krisox not to far from her and rushed over to check his status. She found he was breathing and couldn’t find any superficial wounds; she stood again, looking around from her new vantage point. She would find Sarah or Shiro and bring them to Krisox, as she was not strong enough to carry the unconscious Dularian. 

 

Satla ventured through the wreckage carefully. She could not understand how the four could have gotten so separated; they had all been close together just before impact. She tried to remember the moments immediately following the crash, but found she could not. 

 

She rounded a corner and her eyes lit up as they found Sarah. The small human was sprawled out on her front and seemed unconscious. Satla knelt by her friend, checking her for signs of life and sighing with relief when she found some. 

 

“Sarah.” Satla prompted, gently shaking the girl. It concerned her that her friend did not respond; was this normal for humans? Before she could further pursue that thought, the sound of boots crunching ground made her whip around, startled. 

 

“Did the crash kill ‘er? No, I suspect you’d be upset if that were the case. No matter. I’ll take care of it myself.” Ridel said, approaching the pair slowly through the wreckage. Satla noticed he his steps seemed laboured, as if he were in a great deal of pain. She braced herself and stood up defiantly. 

 

“You will not touch her.” she said firmly, taking a few steps towards him to further illustrate her point. 

 

“What? You’re gonna stop me?” Ridel laughed; his laugh turned into heavy, metallic-sounding coughing. One of his metal arms reached around behind him. “I think not.” he said as he pulled a blaster from its holster on his back, pointing it at her.

* * *

A loud bang rang out, echoing through the hunks of twisted, flaming metal. Shiro frantically jumped to his feet, fighting off the dizziness that came from standing too quickly. He began running in the direction of the sound, ignoring his pain as his sides screamed at him. He hurtled a pile of rebar and wall, stumbling when he reached the other side but he pushed himself off the ground, forcing himself to keep going. 

 

When he rounded the next corner, he quickly grasped the situation, but did not allow himself time to dwell on it; he knew that if he did, Sarah would die. Satla had seemed to delay Ridel for a time, but she had been defenseless against his blaster and now lay on the ground as red pooled around her middle. With a scream of rage, Shiro rushed Ridel, punching the alien hard with his Galra hand. The cartel boss dropped his blaster in surprise, allowing Shiro to kick it away and continue attacking. 

* * *

Shiro’s angry voice brought Sarah out of unconsciousness. She groaned, pushing herself up to her hands and knees before shaking her head, trying to clear the fogginess. As her vision came into focus, she gasped in horror when she found her friend dying. 

 

“Satla, no, no, no, no!” she cried, taking her friend’s hand and squeezing it. Satla’s eyes were unfocused, darting around the sky; she seemed dazed and in shock. “Stay with me, please.” Sarah cried, tears streaming down her face. 

 

A strangled cry caught her attention; looking up, she found it came from where she presumed Shiro and Ridel had moved to in the midst of fighting. “Go…” Satla whispered, barely audible. Sarah’s grief-stricken eyes returned to her friend who was now focused on her and smiling sadly. Sarah felt hopelessness pool in her stomach. How could she leave her friend while she died? But she couldn’t not run to her husband’s aid….

 

Sarah nodded, gently resting Satla’s hand on her chest before running after Shiro. She squeezed between two enormous piles of wreckage, taking a second to grasp the situation when she reached the other side.

 

Shiro’s Galra hand-with the inhibitor cuff still one-seemed be magnetically connected to some of the twisted metal. He struggled against it, desperately trying to pull his arm away, but in vain. “How about them magnets?” Ridel laughed harshly from several feet away. 

 

“Leave him alone!” she yelled fiercely. Ridel whipped his head around, now turning and approaching her. 

 

“Hello, little witch. You ready to take me on?” 

 

“Sarah, go take care of Satla!” Shiro yelled, still trying pull against the magnet. 

 

She didn’t respond, glaring at Ridel. “Or are you just going to shrink into a frail little thing, like before?” he asked maliciously. 

 

“I think I’m ready to take you on.” she said, her voice low and deadly. She raised a hand, stopping him in his tracks as a glowing white orb formed in her palm. 

 

“No! It was supposed to last for days!” he fumed. 

 

“Looks like you were wrong, bitch.” she commented, smirking. 

 

“You can’t kill me!” he growled. “I’ve taken every precaution in the book; I can’t die!”

 

“Oh I think we’ll see about that.” Sarah murmured, before beginning her complicated movements. It wasn’t something white had taught her, or even told her about; this was something Sarah had found on her own out of curiosity. Slowly, the air around Ridel began to glow, and she smiled maliciously as he struggled and cried out for mercy. She slowly pulled her hand upwards, palm down, as a string of dark blue light was drawn out of him. When the tail left him, his body went limp; she dropped it, wrapping his quintessence in on itself until it had become a tight, dense glowing blue orb. It floated to her, where she hovered her hands around it before delicately lowered it into the ground, where it disappeared from view. 

 

Sarah knelt on the ground, panting slightly, before she rose and walked to Ridel’s body. She found the device that controlled Shiro’s cuff, and after some tinkering, released him of the inhibitor. 

 

“What…what was that….” he asked cautiously as he ran up to join her. 

 

“You heard him; he took every precaution in the book.” she began, leading the way back to her dying friend. “ _That_ wasn’t in the book.” She paused for a moment, focusing on walking and not falling on her tired, wobbly legs. “I took his quintessence and gave it to the planet. It’s not much and won’t revive it but…it’s something.” She could feel Shiro’s uneasy gaze as though it had a physical effect. She sighed; they could discuss it further later. 

 

When they reached Satla, Sarah collapsed to her knees, beginning to cry again; her friend was gone, she could tell. Shiro knelt beside her, his arm around her shoulders. Through her tears, she moved her hands about in a similar fashion as just before; the air began to glow again, and she made a sea green ball of light from Satla’s quintessence, lowering it into the ground. 

 

“S-she loved this planet.” Sarah said, her voice thick with emotion. “She could’ve left after Zarkon-after they…” She paused to take a deep, shuddering breath. “Her family could afford to leave. She insisted they go off world but…she stayed to help….she-she’d still be-if I didn’t-” Shiro pulled her into his chest as she completely broke down, sobbing as she clung to him. 

 

“Shuuush, she understood, you were trying to help these people. That probably meant the world to her….a stranger who crash landed on this planet, yet you risked your life to help them survive.”  He kissed the top of her head, rubbing her back methodically. 

 

They sat like that for a long while, until she ran out of tears and Krisox found them. The three held a small, earth-like funeral for Satla at the end of her street, where it met the wilderness, before burying her. Sarah and Krisox manipulated the earth to form a monument honouring her deceased friend. 

 

A few days after, UniPeace arrived, and began setting up stations and facilities to help care for the citizens. Sarah had received word from White that she was back in fully working order, and Krisox offered to fly them out. 

 

As they passed over the wreckage of Ridel’s ship, a large patch of green caught Sarah’s eye. 

 

“Hey, what’s that?” she asked, pointing at the HUD as Krisox focused on it. 

 

“Looks like flora. But I thought you said the planet was dead?”  

 

“And why’s it in two patches that’s…weird.” 

 

“Sarah….” Shiro said slowly, taking her hand. “The quintessence. It restored life to the small area.” 

 

“What?” Krisox asked, confused. 

 

“I uh…kind of extracted Ridel’s quintessence…forcefully….and implanted it in the ground. And Satla had already….but her quintessence….” she trailed off, her voice going soft and almost inaudible. Krisox nodded, appraising his sister curiously. “What?” 

 

“Nothing. Tell me again where your Lion is?” 

* * *

Hours later, after returning to the castle and enduring the endless interrogating from the others, Shiro held Sarah in their bed, both just resting and relaxing. “Sarah…” he began softly after a long while of just listening to the other’s steady breathing. 

 

She sighed; she knew he was going to bring it up sooner or later. “I won’t do it again.” she murmured. “But I don’t regret it. Ridel had it coming.” 

 

Shiro was quiet for a long moment, seemingly lost in thought. 

 

“Do you think…” he began hesitantly. “Do you think it’s something Hagger can do?”

 

It felt like her blood ran cold. That hadn’t even occurred to her. “I-I….I don’t know.” she whispered timidly. Shiro tightened his hold, kissing the top of her head. 

 

“I won’t let her try.” he murmured fiercely, for her ears only. She nodded, and tried to relax, but found it difficult. 

 

_Is that something Hagger can do….?_


	97. Always

“So, did you manage to find anything from what we pulled from the hag?” Sarah asked Pidge as the Green Paladin sat at a console, pulling up the data they collected. 

 

“Some useful information, like the location of some druid-specific facilities and some of the equipment she’s used in her experiments….nothing _huge_.” Pidge sighed, leaning back as the data covered the holoscreen. 

 

Sarah frowned, tilting her head. “What were you hoping to find?”

 

“I don’t know…..something that blow our minds….secrets to the universe or something….”

 

“I’ll admit she’s powerful but I wouldn’t give her that much credit.” Sarah said with a smile. 

 

“I did find something that struck me as odd though.” Pidge began, pulling up the relevant data. 

 

“Oh?” Sarah asked curiously as images of a desert planet and ancient ruins filled the holoscreen. 

 

“There wasn’t much else to this, it just struck me as odd because….well, everything else can be tied back to the Galra Empire. Except for this planet. I can’t find any connection. It’s almost random.” Pidge looked up to Sarah, almost searching her face for clues. 

 

“Lemme get White.” the little witch said, closing her eyes and connecting with her Lion. It took only a moment, and she opened her eyes again when she felt her Lion’s presence in her mind. “White says those ruins are older than she is, maybe even older than the Galra Empire…” she said after a moment. 

 

“Damn, really? But what are they?” 

 

“One of the first cultures to practise magic-maybe _the_ first-lived there. White suggests Haggar knows of the place but….can’t get inside. There’s something inside she wants.” A slightly mischievous smile slowly grew on Sarah’s face. 

 

Pidge raised a knowing eyebrow. “If Shiro asks, I never showed you this.” 

 

“Wha-?” 

 

“Are you or are you not going to find the planet and explore the ruins?” Pidge asked, smirking up at her. They nodded when Sarah’s eyes twinkled and she nodded. “I don’t want Shiro on my ass, so I never showed you this, you found it on your own.”

 

“Deal.”

* * *

“So White has it narrowed down to this collection of systems, she thinks she’d be able to narrow it down further if we get closer to them.” Sarah told Krisox and Kayla, gesturing to the holoscreen that took up the room, showing the area in the universe her Lion thought the ruins were. 

 

“So, tell me again why you want to go and find these ruins?” Krisox asked, skeptical. He was never one for exploring the remnants of long past civilisations, but Sarah found it fascinating. 

 

“Because Haggar wants to get in there. I don’t know why, but I plan to find out.”

 

“And what makes you think you can get in when she hasn’t been able to?”

 

“I have White. If we can find them, she can get us inside.”

 

“Right. The once a magical dragon but now a Voltron Lion teacher who isn’t sure where exactly the ruins are and hasn’t been to them before.” 

 

Sarah glared at him. “Her elders passed down the information to her through a mental link. She knows what to do once we get to it.” 

 

Her brother held up his hands in mock defeat. “I’m just pointing out the holes in your plan. You two can sometimes miss the obvious flaws when you are deadset sure about something.” 

 

“Hey!” Kayla protested. 

 

“What? Tell me I’m wrong, I dare ya.” 

 

“So are you guys good to go with me or not?” Sarah asked as she stepped between them to diffuse the tension. 

 

“Yea….seeing as you’d probably go either way, yea I’ll come with.” Krisox said with a sigh as Kayla nodded in agreement. “How’s your hubby taking the news that you’re going on a potentially dangerous mission without him?” he asked with a smirk. 

 

“I….haven’t quite….mentioned it yet…” she mumbled, dropping her gaze as she fiddled with the hem of her skirt. 

 

“Can I be there when you do?”

 

“Krisox!” both sisters chided in unison. 

* * *

“Sarah, what’s wrong? You’ve been anxious all day.” Shiro asked, moving to sit with her on their bed. 

 

“How-?” she was about to ask before he pointed to his head. “Oh, right, our connection, duh…”

 

“So?” he prompted, watching her closely. 

 

“Um…well….we found something….curious from what we grabbed from Haggar.” she started hesitantly, staring at her hands as she played with the hem of her skirt. 

 

“Something like?”

 

“We aren’t entirely sure….it’s some ruins on a planet and White says she can find it…”

 

“And you want to go alone.” 

 

“No.” she insisted, meeting his gaze. “Krisox and Kayla would go, too. And we’d have White.” 

 

His worried eyes bore into hers for a long moment. “I don’t like this, Sarah.” he said softly. 

 

“I-I know, I do….but I just need to know….Pidge said all the other data collected tied to the empire except thi-” She gasped suddenly, clasping her hands over her mouth. 

 

“What?” he asked, slightly tense. 

 

“I wasn’t supposed to tell you about Pidge’s involvement! Please don’t get upset with Pidgey, they were jus-”

 

“I know.” he sighed, taking her hands in his, his gaze downcast. 

 

Sarah pulled one hand away to caress his cheek. This drew his gaze back to her. “I know you’re worried. And I’m sorry. But I need to go. And you need to stay here, with Voltron.” She leaned forward, kissing him gently. He slid his hands to her back, pulling her closer to him and kissing her more intensely. He pulled her onto his lap, legs on either side of his hips as she straddled him. When they broke for air, he pulled back slightly to remove his vest and shirt, before attacking her neck with his lips and teeth. 

 

She could feel herself getting lost in him; he knew all the right places to make her melt. With deft hands, he removed her jacket and shirt, before she pulled his lips back to hers. When they next broke for air, they rested their foreheads against each others. “Just….promise me you’ll come back.” he panted; her eyes flickered open, meeting his intense gaze. 

 

“Always.” she murmured, stroking his cheek. 


	98. Alternate Universe

The night before Sarah left with her siblings to explore the ruins found her and Shiro in a loving, relaxed embrace. He wasn’t eager to let her go, wanting to hold her in his arms forever so he could shield her from any misfortune. But when Sarah set her mind to something, very little could sway her.

 

She shifted, turning over and adjusting until her back was against his chest. He smiled softly, draping an arm across her middle. “Night.” he murmured to his wife, kissing the back of her neck as they both began drifting off to sleep. The big spoon to her little, he almost completely enveloped her; it made her feel safe and it comforted him to know that she felt as such and could relax easily in his arms. Her relaxing helped him relax. 

 

He didn’t know when exactly he had drifted off to sleep, but when he woke, it took him a second to realise that something was very wrong. For starters, he couldn’t feel Sarah in his arms anymore. But strangest of all: the bed he was on felt very different. 

 

He opened his eyes and sat up, absorbing his environment. He was definitely not in the castle anymore; it looked like he was in a shack on Vaynov, judging by the decrepit building and the black dirt road just outside. The lack of doors and windows also hinted towards him being on the crime-riddled planet. 

 

Standing up, he peered outside, slightly disoriented and confused from the predicament he found himself in. “Maybe….it’s just another prophetic dream…?” he murmured to himself. Glancing to his left, he saw a small, hooded form round a corner and stalking down the road away from him. They were closely followed by-

 

“Krisox?!” 

 

Without pausing to question the situation, Shiro slipped into the stream of passerby, walking fast. It didn’t take him long to catch up, and as he grew closer he heard some of what Krisox was saying. 

 

“…you knew this was gonna come up at some point, don’t act like this is a surprise.” Krisox said, his tone frustrated. 

 

“I’m not, really. But I don’t really care. Tell Allura to just fuck off or something.” the person he was following said. Shiro frowned, that voice sounded like….but it was so cold and harsh….

 

Krisox grabbed her arm, spinning her around to face him. “You can’t run forever, Sarah.” he said angrily. 

 

She opened her mouth to respond when her eyes found Shiro’s and widened. He froze as Krisox followed her gaze. “What the fuck? But? How-?” he looked to Sarah, his anger dissipating. 

 

She shook her head, approaching him warily. When she was close, she stopped, reaching her hand to stroke his cheek. For a second he smiled at the familiar sensation, but she withdrew her hand quickly, holding it against her chest. “You aren’t my Shiro.” she said, backing away. 

 

“I’m sorry-what?” he asked, extremely confused. 

 

“Yea, I’m with blast-from-the-past over here.” Krisox said. Shiro looked at him, frowning; _“Blast-from-the-past”…..?_ he thought, confused.

 

“He’s not from this universe, he’s from another one. He doesn’t belong here.” she answered flatly. 

 

“I’m sorry, I’m still not quite…following…?” Shiro asked, still very lost. 

 

Sarah stared-more like glared-at him, her eyes dark and angry…and sad…. “My Shiro died.” she said harshly. “He died, and he’s not coming back.” She turned on her heel and began walking away again.

 

“Ah….um.” Krisox began, unsure of how to handle the fresh awkward silence. 

 

“So….” Shiro started, but hesitated; a tight knot was forming in his stomach. “How did it….um…”

 

Krisox grimaced, but nodded. He motioned for Shiro to follow as he began walking again, following his sister’s wake; Shiro only just noticed that the other passerby had given her a wide berth. “You two were captured and taken straight to Zarkon. He fought you one on one and….well…..” Krisox shrugged uncomfortably. 

 

“Oh…okay….” Shiro said hollowly, suddenly having a hard time swallowing. “Um…and….?” He gestured towards Sarah, who was far ahead of them now.

 

“She….didn’t take it very well.” Krisox said sadly; the Dularian looked exhausted all of a sudden. “She isn’t really….Sarah, as I guess you know her. In your universe.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“She’s angry, Shiro….and it consumed her….her sole purpose in life now is to destroy Zarkon and Hagger. And she’s willing to tear the cosmos apart to do it.” Krisox met Shiro’s confused, concerned gaze. “She started using Black Magic. She just doesn’t care anymore….” He paused, leaning against a wall as he gave in to sobs. “I lost my sister….I thought if I stayed by her side, I could curb it, bring her back….” His fists clenched angrily. “I didn’t count on me being useless!”

 

“H-hey…I’m sure you did the best you could…” Shiro murmured, trying to console the Dularian while battling the shock and fear that had risen within him. 

 

“You’re….you’re probably right. I just couldn’t…..by the time we rescued her….she was already broken, I could tell.” Krisox said solemnly. He took a deep breath, steadying himself. “C’mon. She might be able to figure out a way to get you back.” 

 

“She can do that?!” 

 

Krisox smirked, though his eyes were still sad. “You kidding? She’s got White and Black Magic. I’d wager she’s more powerful than Zarkon now. Maybe even Voltron.” His smirk faded as he turned to go. “I just hope she can get you back before she goes berserk again….no one really survives that; I barely did, the first time….” he trailed off, lost in thought. 

 

Shiro stared in awe after his brother-in-law, still trying to process all of the information. She had said he wasn’t her Shiro….and he was beginning to understand that she wasn’t his Sarah.


	99. Just Don't Die

As much as he wanted to, he found he couldn’t sleep. He stared up at the ceiling of Krisox’s room; the Dularian had been kind enough to share it with him, as they expected his stay to only be temporary. At least, he sincerely hoped it would be temporary. And short. 

 

The more he learned about the universe he inexplicably found himself in, the more he wanted to return to his own by almost any means necessary. He didn’t know this Sarah. She was a completely different person from the soft and gentle and kind Sarah he loved. He couldn’t fathom that, at one point, she _had_ been like his Sarah, but had somehow turned into this dark, cynical being hell-bent on revenge. 

 

He sighed, giving up on sleep; his thoughts were a stormy vortex and he couldn’t quiet them no matter how hard he tried. He carefully got up and slipped out the door, making sure not to wake Krisox. After sliding the door closed behind him, he looked up and down the dimly lit hallway. There wasn’t much activity at the late hour….or maybe it was early in the morning….he wasn’t sure. Sarah had forced Nitro and the rest of the crime syndicates under one banner-her banner-and the base of operation was the most opulent nightclub on Vaynov. He couldn’t imagine it being closed at any hour, but he found the hall quiet even though he was only a floor above the bar. Straining to listen, to see if he could pick up any kind of music, he found he did hear something in the silence, but it was not what he expected. 

 

As he proceeded down the hall, the sound grew louder, and he began to recognise what it was; sobbing. More specifically, Sarah’s sobbing. 

 

Just a short way away, he found a door open slightly; standing next to it, he could hear her clearly. As he heard his name escape her lips, he leaned against the doorframe, sliding down to the ground. He didn’t know what to do. She was mourning a Shiro that was dead and gone, and he knew that he would not make her feel better. And she was not the Sarah he loved. But hearing her crying….It felt like he was in physical pain, not being able to go and comfort her.

 

“It wouldn’t help.” a groggy voice said from down the hall. Looking up, he saw Krisox watching the door sadly. 

 

“How do I prevent this? In m-my universe….” Shiro asked, almost pleading. 

 

Krisox stared at the ground, pensieve, for a long moment. “Don’t die.” he said finally, shrugging, as if it were the simplest thing in the world. 

 

Shiro rested his head back against the doorframe. “Just don’t die….” he murmured to himself. It wasn’t something he could guarantee, especially not during war, but….


	100. Promise

“Okay, so the way I figure, best chance to get you back is to use Hagger’s circle.” Sarah said a few days later. “Like, sure, I’m powerful, but I can’t make people travel between universes.” She shrugged. 

 

“Isn’t her circle in Zarkon’s base of command?” Krisox asked, shifting irritably.

 

The three were basically in a broom closet; Sarah hadn’t wanted to stir up a fuss and so kept Shiro’s presence a secret. He was grateful; he couldn’t imagine what the reaction to someone coming back from the dead would be. 

 

“Yea, so?” she asked harshly. “You think I can’t handle it?”

 

“No, no.” Krisox said hastily, his hands in front of him in a sign of surrender. “I was…just confirming.” 

 

Sarah watched her brother closely through narrowed eyes for a moment. “Alright then. Let’s shoot for tomorrow.”

 

“Tomorrow?!” Shiro asked in startled confusion. “Don’t we need to spend some time planni-”

 

“Waste of time.” she said curtly, already leaving. 

 

Shiro looked to Krisox, who sighed and shook his head. “Just go with it.” he said defeatedly, following his sister out. 

* * *

“Okay,” Sarah whispered after the snuck aboard Zarkon’s ship. “You stay out of sight and wait for my signal.” 

 

Shiro made to object, but thought better of it and simply nodded. He was surprised they had even made it as far as they had; he had expected their arrival to put the massive ship on high alert. 

 

He hid himself in small room full of mechanical equipment, trying to focus on the various sounds of the ship to distract him from his thoughts. He felt he would give anything to not be stuck alone with his mind at that moment; try as he might, he always circled back to Sarah. How had she become this witch hell bent on revenge? He thought it impossible that his sweet, kind, gentle wife could become so cruel and cold and twisted. But the proof was before him and impossible to ignore. He just wish he could understand exactly what happened, in the hopes that maybe, just maybe, he could prevent it in his universe.

 

 _If I get back to my universe._ he thought grimly. He was about to peek outside when a massive explosion rocked the entire ship. But it wasn’t until he heard the pained, frenzied scream that he burst out, running to his companions’ aid and praying he wasn’t too late. 

* * *

Though he had run as fast as he possibly could, he didn’t make it in time. When he reached them, he found Krisox crumpled on the ground and Shiro didn’t have to check the Dularian’s pulse to know he was dead. He searched through the debris for Sarah, climbing over parts of the ceiling that had fallen in. When he found her, he felt his heart drop. 

 

Though she was still breathing and conscious, he knew she didn’t have long. A thick piece of rebar jutted out of her abdomen as a pool of blood grew around her. “Shiro…” she sighed when she saw him, extending her hand towards him. He ran over and knelt next to her, taking her hand in his. “Don’t cry for me. I’m happy.” she said bleakly, wiping away the tears he didn’t know he had with her hand coated in her blood. “Could you um…” She gestured to the rebar.

 

“But you’ll bleed out.” he said, his voice hoarse. 

 

“I’m already bleeding out.” she said with a grim smile. 

 

He grimaced, but nodded, wrapping his Galra hand around the metal rod. “On three.” 

 

She gasped in pain when he pulled it out; he tossed it as far as he could, cradling her in his arms. “I’m sorry…” he murmured.

 

“Don’t be.” she whispered. “I get to see my Shiro now. We can be together again.” She took his face in both her hands, her eyes serious. “Don’t let your Sarah become me. Tell her everything you saw here; she’ll believe you.”

 

He was about to ask how she knew, but this was Sarah; she knew herself better than anyone. 

 

“Try not to die. I know it isn’t something you can guarantee…..” She took a weak, shuddering breath as tears sprung in her eyes. “She’d destroy the universe for you, Shiro. You just have to ask her not to.” She paused, tears running down her face. “Can I….kiss you? I know you aren’t m-my Shiro, but….” she trailed off, her eyes unsure.

 

He nodded, and cupped her face as he lifted her to him; their lips met, and…

* * *

Shiro woke with a start, panting heavily. It took him a moment to get his bearings; he was in the castle, in the bed and room he and Sarah shared. After a moment of franticly looking around, his eyes found Sarah at the end of the bed, on her knees as she watched him worriedly. 

 

“You okay? Was it another flashback nightma-”

 

He cut her off, scooping her into his arms and kissing her desperately. After a moment, she broke apart, framing his face with her soft hands. 

 

“Shiro, what happened?” she said firmly. 

 

He sighed, leaning his forehead against hers, as he began to tell her what he had experienced. 

 

When he finished, Sarah sat in silence for a long while; he presumed she was lost in thought. “I don’t understand….how….how….” he began, his voice trembling slightly. 

 

“I can. Kind of.” she murmured, her eyes unfocused. “I keep my anger in check, cause I know that….I would never act on it, but I wanted to, bad. It scares me a little, even today. I can see something drastic just….pushing me over the edge….” Her voiced trailed off into a barely audible whisper. After a moment, her eyes focused on his. “But I can be on the lookout now. I know what the future could be, so I can prevent it.” 

 

“But how?” 

 

“When….if……the moment comes, I’ll know what could happen…..and I won’t allow my anger to take me there.” She hugged him tightly. “Just….promise you’ll at least try to not let the moment happen.” she whispered shakily, crying. 

 

“I promise.” he murmured assuredly, holding her as close to him as he could. After a moment, he pulled away, gripping her shoulders as he looked into her eyes intensely. “I need you to promise me something, too.” 

 

Sarah observed his face carefully before nodding. 

 

“Whatever happens…don’t lose yourself. Don’t give in to black magic.” He cradled her face in his hands. “I know you’d destroy the universe for me.” He shook his head slightly as she opened her mouth to speak, confused. “I know. If anything happens to me….don’t lose who you are. Promise me, please.” he pleaded.

 

Sarah furrowed her brows, concerned, but after a moment she nodded. “I promise.” she said steadily. “I promise.” 


	101. Ruins

“Do you have to go?” Shiro asked again, one hand against the small of her back and the other cupping her cheek. His forehead was resting against hers, his eyes gazing intensely as though he were peering into her soul. 

 

Sarah smiled sadly. “I do. I’m sorry.” He sighed and nodded, dropping his gaze. She hated upsetting him like this, but they both knew it had to be. Shiro had responsibilities as a Voltron Paladin, and she needed to investigate the ruins to learn more about magic. Sarah slipped her arms around his neck, resting her head against his chest as his arms held her tight against him. “I love you…”

 

“I know…..I love you, too.” he said, kissing the top of her head. 

 

“And hey,” she began in a slightly cheery tone, leaning back so she could watch his face. “we still have that connection thing. From our meditating.”

 

“Do you think it’ll work over such a distance though?”

 

“I should think so, it is quintessence after all. It flows everywhere. I don’t think any amount of distance can disrupt it.” She smiled and kissed his nose. “It’s not like wi-fi, ya know.” To her relief, he smiled. 

* * *

“Well that’s something I don’t think I’ll ever get used to.” Kayla commented after they passed through the wormhole. 

 

“Believe it or not, you actually do.” Sarah replied airily, watching White’s HUD as her Lion scanned the surrounding systems. 

 

“So did White say what was in this ruin?” Krisox asked, leaning against her chair languidly. 

 

“She’s not entirely sure. She knows there’s some texts that hold long lost magic knowledge, and she thinks there might be some artifacts of some sort.” 

 

“So, we’re not exactly going on a whole lot of solid information. Ya know, i didn’t have a lot of confidence in this mission at the beginning and so far nothing has changed that.”

 

“Why’d you come then?” Sarah asked irritably; Krisox’s mood was really starting to get on her nerves.

 

“Yea, as if I’m gonna let my little sisters explore ancient, dangerous ruins on some godforsaken planet alone.” 

 

“Ohmygod, we aren’t five ya know.” Kayla said, annoyed. 

 

“I’m not saying you are nor am I saying you can’t take care of yourself.” he replied grumpily. “See, when people care about each other, they worry, and sometimes the only way to ease that is by staying close.” Sarah couldn’t help but smile at his dry humour. “Besides, you think I’d live if I let you two go alone and something happened? Shiro would probably cut me down like nothing, but honestly I’d be more scared of mom and dad.” He mock shuddered. “I don’t think Voltron would be able to keep them at bay.” 

 

“Yea….” Kayla’s voice grew soft. “I hope they’re doing okay.” Sarah felt Krisox’s pressure leave her seat as he walked over to hug Kayla. 

 

“I’m sure they are. Our family’s a tough bunch. Even the adopted members.” Sarah glanced behind her and the three siblings shared a comforting smile before falling into a comfortable silence. 

 

“Oh!” Sarah gasped when White’s screens started blinking. “I think she found it.” She pulled her hands from the controls as her Lion took over, flying them down through the atmosphere of sandy brown planet. She gently descended, gracefully weaving between large rock formations as she zeroed in on the location of the ruins. She began to slow after she entered a narrow canyon that Sarah recognised from what Pidge pulled from Hagger. “We’re close.” she murmured, staring around almost unblinkingly. After a moment, they rounded a corner and White gently came to a stop before a [large, stone entryway](http://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=http%3A%2F%2Fjjcanvas.deviantart.com%2Fart%2FSand-and-Ruins-272158210&t=NDIwNWZmM2EzYjk4NjdkNjVjODQyYjNkYjc3ZTIxMTJjMzczOWUwMixVaE5lUkhVQg%3D%3D&b=t%3AUp-8vRCgTYJDx5VxPdiFaA&p=http%3A%2F%2Fterezisexbuttpyrope.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F155331144340%2Fancient&m=0). 

 

“Okay,” Krisox began after the trio departed, staring up at the massive structure. “This mission might not be as much of waste of time as I thought.” 

 

Sarah glanced over her shoulder at him, smirking, before taking careful steps and entering through the doorway. 


	102. Duality Magic

“God damn, what kind of civilisation built all this?” Krisox asked in awe as they ventured through the [ruins](http://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=http%3A%2F%2Ftituslunter.deviantart.com%2Fart%2FTemple-of-Anhach-Zuldan-403636347&t=ZWZkYzExMmE2YzA1MDkwZjdiYTgwMzk0YjVhMjg4NGMyNDdiZTg0MyxhZVcyOWk0Vg%3D%3D&b=t%3AUp-8vRCgTYJDx5VxPdiFaA&p=http%3A%2F%2Fterezisexbuttpyrope.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F155380527090%2Fcrumble&m=0). 

 

“Not sure, White says most of their history has been lost. She knows this was a holy city though, and a lot of magic was practised somewhere here. In a temple or something. I can still kind of feel it, like the air is pulsing or something, can you?” Sarah answered, leading the way with a glowing white orb in her hand. 

 

“Yea. Man, this is so weird. It feels like the city’s alive or something.” 

 

“I think I’m getting goosebumps.” Kayla commented warily, wrapping her arms around herself. 

 

“We’ll be fine, this place has been dead for several millennia. Any traps they may have set have likely become useless.” Sarah said, looking back at her sister with a comforting smile. 

 

“Traps?” Krisox asked, confused. 

 

“Yea, booby traps or whatever they’re called.”

 

“Which are….?” 

 

“Like uh…tripwires…or….you step on a stone and poison darts fly out. Like in the movies.” 

 

“Right….” her brother said slowly, teasing her slightly. “Whatever you say.” He chuckled when she stuck her tongue at him. “Do you know where you’re going?”

 

“Not quite but…” she frowned. “Is it just me or does it feel like something’s…drawing us in?” 

 

“Oh man, I thought I was the only one picking up on that.” Kayla said, her eyes wide. 

 

“That makes me feel a little less insane.” Krisox nodded. “Well, no point wasting time, let’s see what it is.” 

 

Sarah hesitated as her brother led the way. She couldn’t put a finger on what was bothering her. She couldn’t sense any evil or Black Magic, but the air was heavy and, as Krisox had said, it felt alive. 

 

She didn’t hesitate long enough for her siblings to notice; after all, she had been the one who insisted on investigating the ruin. If she were to get cold feet now….

 

They crossed the bridge spanning the entire length of what looked like an open marketplace. Kayla and Krisox formed their own glowing orbs when they once again passed into the shadowy interior of the city. The way the city was laid out, it seemed that the temple they were looking for was the focal point, with all the roads and other buildings being designed around it. It didn’t take them long to reach a large, ornate doorway that led into a cavernous, domed room. In the center was a small altar with markings similar to what Sarah had found in the room where she first met her mentor. Books were stacked haphazardly around it, as though their handlers had left in a hurry. Sarah thought it miraculous that they were still around and hadn’t crumbled to dust. She knelt down next to the altar, tenderly picking up one of the books and leafing through it. White reached her mind and the two perused the ancient text together. 

 

“Hey, what do you think is behind here?” Kayla asked, her voice echoing around the chamber. 

 

Looking up, Sarah saw her sister standing before a large, stone door. Kayla tried to push it open, but it wouldn’t budge. “Could very well be what that hag wanted to find.” Sarah straightened up, still holding the book. She made to approach the door herself when White informed her she was coming in for a closer look. Frowning she looked behind her, before shrugging to herself. 

 

“What is it?” Krisox asked. 

 

“White’s coming in. I think she’s small enough to fit.” Sarah answered, turning to her brother who seemed skeptical. 

 

Sure enough, her Lion fit, stopping in the entryway to the altar chamber. She suggested Sarah load the books inside her compartments, as they could prove very useful. As Sarah complied, White studied the closed door with her siblings. 

 

“Hey, White says that it’ll take magic to open the door.” Kayla called as Sarah finished moving the books. 

 

“Great, what do we need to do?” she asked as she descended down her Lion’s ramp, dusting off her hands. 

 

“There’s a bit of a catch…”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“It’s gonna take two kinds of magic.” Krisox answered grimly. “Black _and_ White.”

 

Sarah frowned. “I don’t understand.” 

 

“Apparently these people used a mixture of them, there was a balance.”

 

Sarah reached her siblings and stared at the door, hands on her hips. After a moment, she shrugged. “So, we don’t get it open. Oh well.” She paused as her Lion spoke to her. “Wait, what do you mean we have to get in there? What’s in there?” she asked, turning to face her mentor. 

 

Before White could answer, a distant boom shook the ruins, causing dust to rain down from above. The sound of a ship grew closer and closer; soon they heard it right above them, circling around a few times before landing. Sarah tentatively reached out to see if she could identify who the intruder was. She recoiled at the thick aura of evil and malice and groaned. 

 

“Not again….You have _got_ to be kidding me.” It seemed Hagger was determined to pursue her to the ends of the universe. 


	103. Ancient Arts

“It’s that hag? How’d she find us?” Krisox asked, tensing up. 

 

“I um….she put a tracer in me.” Sarah mumbled, reaching back to feel the small bump. “I completely forgot after we crash landed and fought the cartels.” 

 

“I always knew our shit memory would be the death of one of us.” Kayla groaned. “What do we do?” 

 

“We leave, obviously.” Krisox said matter of factly. “White can make us invisible to everything almost, right?” 

 

“Right.” Sarah said with a nod. “We can just try to come bac-White what do you mean we can’t leave yet?” Sarah asked incredulously as her Lion insisted they stay and get through the door. “What could possibly be in there that’s worth endangering our lives?” 

 

“She can’t be serious, we have to _go_.” Kayla insisted worriedly. 

 

“She says there’s some kind of magic behind there that’s been lost to the ages….Whatever these people did to make it, that’s all that’s left. And it’s powerful. She’s afraid Hagger’s been looking for it and insists we have to get it first.” 

 

The siblings shared a look. They didn’t have a lot to go on and it was a great risk to stay and try to get through the door….but their only ride didn’t seem keen on leaving without whatever prize lay beyond.

 

“Fine.” Krisox said huffily, throwing up his hands. “This door needs White and Black magic? So we lure her here.The hag wants whatever it is as much as White does, I can see her helping to open the door-”

 

“And then killing us all!” Kayla yelled in disbelief. 

 

“Will you let me finish?” he snapped. “We get the door open, she goes to finish Sarah, that’s when I jump out. We distract her, Kayla you get whatever the fuck is in there and then we bolt.” He looked between his two sisters. His plan was far from solid, but they didn’t have much time; Hagger had already landed and was likely getting very close. 

 

“Okay. She’s almost here, so get ready.” Sarah said, bracing herself. 

* * *

“I suppose you did manage to extract something of value from my mind.” Hagger called when she entered the chamber, unnecessarily announcing her presence. “Have you discovered why the door won’t open?” 

 

Sarah nodded, watching the Dark Witch like a hawk while mentally keeping tabs on her siblings and White, who had snuck out and was now circling above the ruins, waiting for their cue. “It needs White and Black Magic.” 

 

“It seems we will have to work together. Just this once.” Hagger growled disdainfully. 

 

“How do I know you won’t just kill me once it’s open?”

 

“I suppose you don’t. I’ve run what tests I wanted to run on you already. I can’t get anymore information from you on White Magic.”

 

“So why would I help you open the door?”

 

“Ohoho….” Hagger chuckled. “You don’t know what’s behind it, do you?”

 

“Old magic.” Sarah answered without missing a beat. 

 

“But you don’t know what it is. You don’t know what it’s capable of. If you knew…” a smile that made Sarah’s stomach turn grew on the witch’s purple face. “You’d take the risk. Just as I am willing to. How do I know _you_ won’t kill me when the door opens?”

 

Sarah gritted her teeth. “Death is too merciful.” she growled, her voice low and dangerous. It gave her dark pleasure to watch the witch’s smile disappear. 

 

“I can promise not to kill you on this side of the door….for now.” Hagger said reluctantly. 

 

Sarah deliberated for a long moment. She didn’t trust the witch for a second, but both parties needed the door open and it would take both parties to do so. “Fine.” she said finally.

 

They stood on either side of the altar, as far apart from each other as the room would allow while still being within sight of the sealed door. Together they raised their hands, conjuring orbs, one black and one white, before gently pushing them into the door. White markings blazed a trail across its surface, followed by symmetrical black markings, before they converged at the center. The door slowly swung into the room behind it, its joints groaning. 

 

As soon as the door came to a halt, everything began to move very quickly. Hagger made to run inside, only to be thrown backwards across the altar room by Krisox’s barrier. Sarah and her brother face the witch and tried to push her back, out of the altar room, with some success; the two had Hagger preoccupied. Sarah couldn’t focus on fighting the witch and keeping tabs on her sister, and hoped Kayla had made it inside. 

* * *

Seizing her window of opportunity, Kayla quickly ducked inside the now open room. It was taller than the altar room, the ceiling so high it was hidden in shadow. In the center was a raised platform with curved stairs leading to it on both sides. Kayla ran up the stairs to the pedestal on the platform, on which sat an ancient stone statue. When she reached it, she found it was only about as long as her forearm. She made to grab it and run, but when her hand touched its surface, it felt like it latched onto her. Panicking, Kayla pulled back, but the statue was stuck to her hand. Now it was glowing white, with black lines coursing across it, before dissolving into what looked like fireflies. Her right arm seemed to absorb the specks of light almost like a vacuum, and she felt it grow hot and pulse with energy. Faded black lines drew themselves across her skin, meeting with each other and curving or branching off to match the statue. 

 

When everything faded, Kayla was panting and staring at her arm in awe; she now had a curious geometric tattoo that ran from her hand to her shoulder. White accents glowed, pulsing gently with what she assumed was some kind of magical energy that she had absorbed somehow. She didn’t know what had just happened, but she knew it was time to leave. 

 

Running back down the stairs, she heard a strangled cry from her sister in the altar room and picked up speed. She hurried to Sarah’s crumpled form, not paying attention to her surroundings as she tried to shake her sister awake. 

 

“We meet again.” said a voice; looking up Kayla found herself almost face to face with the Dark Witch. “I think I’ll just rid the universe of you meddlesome sisters once and for all.” 

 

The witch formed a dark, purple orb in her hand, ready fire a beam of magic that would spell the end for her and Sarah, but as she raised her hand, something strange happened. The air around them rippled and growled; creatures of light came from nothing, baring their teeth at the Dark Witch who staggered backwards in fear. 

 

“What-? How? How can you wield it?” she asked in dismay. 

 

Kayla didn’t know what was happening but she seized the opening, calling up to White who burst through the ceiling. Just then, Krisox appeared at her side, picking up Sarah and ushering her into the Lion. 

 

As they took off, Kayla looked through the window at the witch fighting off the strange beings made entirely of light. What were they? And where had they come from? She looked at her arm curiously. What was in that room? 

* * *

“Okay White, talk.” Sarah said seriously after Kayla had attempted to describe what happened in the room. They were well on their way away from the planet. Sarah wanted to know exactly what it was they risked their lives for so she could have answers for the others. 

 

The three sat in relative silence as White illustrated in their minds what it was Kayla had touched and then absorbed. It was White and Black magic combined, in such a way that the White canceled out the Black’s entropy. She said it was incredibly powerful and highly sought after because of the user’s ability to create living creatures made of light. A skilled Witch could control the creatures, but White regretfully informed them that the knowledge with which to become skilled in that area was lost long ago. She supposed Kayla had unconsciously created the creatures to protect her sister, their sole purpose focused on fending off the Dark Witch. Long ago, a Witch wielding this power could create beings that rivaled Voltron; but Kayla only knew the basics of White magic, nothing more. 

 

“So the most useless Witch in the universe has received the ultimate magic. Awesome.” she said sarcastically, crossing her arms across her chest. 

 

“I’m sure we can figure this out.” Sarah assured her, hailing Allura and the castle. “At the very least, figure out what it was that led to those light creatures. It’s better than nothing.” 

 

“That was fast!” Allura said, her face appearing on White’s holoscreen. 

 

“Yea we uh…ran into witchy problem and kinda had to bolt.” Sarah said, grimacing. 

 

“Oh my god, are you all okay? What happened?” 

 

“It’s….complicated.”

 

Allura nodded understandingly. “Throwing up the wormhole now. See you soon.”


	104. Tricked

“I still can’t believe we forgot about the tracker.” Shiro said a few days after Sarah returned with her siblings. The two were in a crowded marketplace with the children and other Paladins, sans Pidge. The Green Paladin had suggested it since all the ingoing and outgoing signals would likely block Sarah from being traced, giving them time to find a way to deactivate it. 

 

“I mean there was a lot going on. We had quite a bit to deal with.” Sarah replied, watching the children enjoy themselves. The other three Paladins were helping to keep watch, allowing everyone more freedom to move about and explore the alien market. Lance was especially good with them, currently playing with Aury and Nec. Hunk had V’selle on his shoulders and Keith was running around after Chi, who was very excited to be in a place full of other people and was scurrying to and fro. Tei was between her adoptive parents, holding one hand each as they leisurely strolled through the crowd. “Let us know if there’s anything you want to look at, okay baby girl?” Sarah said to her daughter, smiling. 

 

“Okay!” she answered brightly, looking all around joyfully. 

 

Sarah supposed the children hadn’t really been out in a busy, public area since their home was destroyed by the Galra. She was glad they were able to bring them to a free, open market full of various alien people. 

 

Hearing Chi’s giggling, Sarah looked up and found the girl had found some friends, and they seemed to be playing a game of keep away with Keith. “Mani, Mani!” Tei said, tugging on her hand. “I can play, I can play??”

 

“Of course! Just stay close.” Sarah answered with a chuckle, watching as the little girl ran to join the other children. 

 

Shiro wrapped an arm around her middle as they both watched the kids having fun. “I love that we can still have this.” he said, kissing her temple. She looked up at him, loving the way his eyes crinkled as he watch their children enjoying themselves. 

 

“Me too.” she said, snuggling close to him. She sighed contentedly; the Galra were far from her mind, along with her worries. 

* * *

She should have known their peace would only last so long. Of course the Galra would attack when they were trying to enjoy themselves. Of _course_ they would. _Just our luck.._..Sarah thought bitterly. 

 

After scrambling around through the panicked crowd, they had almost everyone accounted for. Almost. 

 

“Where’s Chi?” Sarah asked Keith frantically as the Paladins and other children boarded Darling. 

 

“I don’t know, she was right next to me and then she disappeared!”

 

“Kids don’t just disappear, Keith!” she shouted, her worry very evident in her tone. 

 

“We’ll go find her, just hunker down in Darling, active her invisibility until we get back.” Shiro said, taking Sarah’s hand and running back through the crowd. She was glad he was at least managing to stay focused enough to know what to do, whereas she felt running around screaming Chi’s name. She was so scared her mind was clouded with frightening possibilities; she tried to focus on Shiro’s hand pulling her through the panicked citizens to keep herself on task. 

 

As they ran further through the market, the crowd grew thinner. She was grateful, as she thought it would make finding their daughter easier. For some reason it didn’t occur to her why the crowd had mostly been running in the opposite direction and why they found themselves almost alone very suddenly. 

 

They rounded a corner and came to a dead stop, one of their worst fears realised. 

 

“Mani, Pani!” Chi cried, struggling against Hagger’s grip on her wrist. 

 

Hagger smiled maliciously. “Don’t try anything, or I will end her.” 

 

“No please, just-please don’t hurt her.” Sarah pleaded, tears beginning to run down her face. 

 

“You’re lucky I’m feeling generous today. I will let her go, but you two must come with me. No struggling. No resisting.” 

 

“Yes, okay, whatever you want, just let her go unharmed.” Shiro said as Sarah nodded in agreement. 

 

Hagger gestured to someone behind them and suddenly they were both flanked by two druids and roughly had their hands cuffed behind their backs. A small Galra craft landed in the wide street, its side doors opening with bots ready to retrieve Hagger’s prize. 

 

“Okay, you have us, now let her go.” Shiro demanded firmly once they were in the ship. 

 

“Oh you mean this?” Hagger asked, darkly amused; she released Chi’s wrist and then waved her arm through the child. Sarah and Shiro watched in horror as it dawned on them they had been tricked into giving themselves in. Before they could react, the druids injected something into their necks. Sarah suddenly felt heavy and drowsy and found herself unable to fight against losing consciousness. 


	105. Stare

When they came to, they had arrived at Zarkon’s central command. The ship docked in a hanger and they were roughly escorted by the druids and Hagger through the halls to a room with a sunken middle. The druids holding them separated them, with Hagger stepping between the couple to the back of the room.. The Dark Witch observed the couple in silence for a moment before she began her interrogation. 

 

“How did you come by another Lion? Was it hidden? Or did you make it?” she asked finally. The question seemed completely out of left field to Sarah, who blinked in confusion. “Answer me!” Hagger hissed, impatient. 

 

“We found it.” Shiro lied skillfully. “It was a prototype, hidden deep within the castle.”

 

Hagger snarled, but Sarah could tell she wasn’t sure if he was lying or not. “Very well.” She faced Sarah now, turning her back to Shiro. “What did you take from the temple.” she demanded. 

 

“We didn’t take anything, whatever that was latched on-”

 

“That’s not what I meant!” 

 

Sarah frowned. “I don’t…what else was there?” she asked, though she knew what the Witch was getting at; the books they loaded into White must have some importance that she and White weren’t aware of. 

 

“Ancient texts, instructions for powerful, old magicks….I know they were there. What did you do with them?”

 

“We didn’t see any books, there was just the altar and the-” 

 

“Liar!” Hagger yelled, making Sarah recoil. “You took them, didn’t you? Didn’t you?!” 

 

“Hagger!” a Galra officer called from the door. “Emperor Zarkon is ready to see them now.” 

* * *

They were forcefully dragged before Zarkon, pulled to opposite sides of the walkway by druids who had a firm hold on their shoulders. “The Champion and the Witch.” Hagger announced, not that it was needed; Zarkon was sitting in his throne, watching each steadily. 

 

After a moment he rose to his feet and approached Sarah. Her eyes widened in fear, recoiling slightly when he stopped less than a foot from her. “You two have truly been a thorn in my side.” he said, his voice deep and toneless. “You destroyed my arena….kidnapped my right hand….” He tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear as she visibly shivered from his uncomfortably close proximity. “And now I have received word that you have slain one of my most fearsome and loyal commanders. Tell me, Witch,” He grabbed her chin and glared into her eyes. “ _why_ did you kill Sendak.” 

 

“Zarkon!” Shiro shouted fiercely. “She didn’t kill Sendak. _I_ did.” 

 

The Galra Emperor released his grip on her, turning to her husband whose furious glare watched him approach steadily. He stopped just as close to Shiro as he had been with her, but Shiro held firm and didn’t recoil. 

 

“And I’d do it again if I had the chance.” her husband said, his voice low and dangerous. 

 

_What is he doing?_ she thought fearfully; she could almost feel the anger radiating off Zarkon. The Emperor hid it well, whereas Hagger was much less discrete; her lip curled in disdain as her wrathful gaze attempted to bore a hole through Shiro. But he only had eyes for Zarkon, successfully and bravely holding and standing firm against the Emperor’s gaze. 

 

“I wonder,” Zarkon began slowly. “how you would fare against _me_.” Shiro didn’t even flinch, but Sarah was almost beside herself.

 

“No, no, no, please.” she whimpered, tears leaking out of her eyes. 

 

“Hagger. Put her in a cell somewhere. She is most distracting.” Zarkon said without breaking his gaze from Shiro. 

 

Hagger gestured to the two druids holding Sarah, who began pulling her away. “No, Shiro!!” she cried out, pushing back against them. She reached out to his mind, trying to consolidate all her fears and thoughts to form a coherent message but failing. _Please, I love you, what are you doing, please.._..was the only thought that made sense. 

 

_Don’t worry._ his voice said in her head, while there was still a connection. _Stay safe. I love you, too._

She wanted to convey more, but she was now out of range; as she was dragged around a corner, she managed to get one last glimpse of her husband, her universe, staring down the Emperor who very likely intended to take him from her. 


	106. Her Limit

Hagger’s druids roughly threw her into a cell, the door closing before she had a chance to get back to her feet. Sarah took a moment to move her handcuffed hands underneath her, bringing them to her front with difficulty. 

 

When she had her hands in front of her, she pushed herself up and ran to the cell door, anxiously looking through the small window up and down the hall. 

 

She had no idea what to do. Hagger had done something to inhibit her magic, and she wasn’t strong or capable without it. Her only solace was her link with Shiro. She could still feel his presence and just barely reach his mind, but it was enough; it told her he was still alive, he was still okay. 

 

Sarah leaned her back against the door, closing her eyes and trying to steady herself. If she could just focus, she could get a better idea of what was going on around him. It’d be a hazy picture, but she just needed to make sure he was okay and was going to stay that way.

* * *

They had moved to a large room that had more space than the single walkway Zarkon’s throne room had. Two Galra officers flanked him, escorting him to the opposite side of the room from their Emperor. 

 

It occurred to him that this must’ve been when the other universe’s Shiro died. He didn’t know how it had happened, but he was determined to prevent it in this universe. He was focused and ready to take on Zarkon. He didn’t know what would happen if he actually managed to kill the Emperor, but he didn’t expect he’d be able to get that far. Hopefully he could wound him without incurring drastic punishment. 

 

Zarkon stood across from him, removing his heavy cloak. “Are you ready, Paladin?” he asked, signaling for his officers to remove his cuffs. “I am eager to begin.” 

* * *

Sarah had difficulty focusing long enough to get a solid look at Shiro’s situation; she could feel him through their connection, but not much else. In her distraught mind, it took her a moment to remember an alternative. Instead of using their connection, she explored through the quintessence flow, mentally running through passages and rooms until she found her husband’s signature. This was much easier for her, as she had done it a thousand times before. She wasn’t sure how long she could hold out, but she was determined to try for as long as she could. 

 

By the time she found him, Shiro and a dark magenta signature she assumed was Zarkon were already going at it. She felt herself shaking, cringing every time the Emperor threw a punch and recoiling when they landed. But to her relief, Shiro was successfully holding his own. He managed to knock Zarkon back several times, even causing the Emperor to fall to his back more than once. She was terrified that one of the other Galra or the Druids might intervene, but they did not. The longer their battle went on, the more that struck is strange and worrying. 

 

She didn’t know how much time had passed, but she felt her view dissolving as she became unable to view through quintessence. Her eyes snapped open and she felt tears running down her face. She assumed her distraught emotional state had affected her connection, but the fight wasn’t over. Once again, she tried reaching through their connection, and found herself somewhat successful. Instead of viewing the room at large, she had an almost point of view look, almost as if she were seeing through Shiro’s eyes. She could feel he was starting to tire, but it also seemed like Zarkon was becoming exhausted as well. 

 

It seemed their fight was drawing to a close, with neither party the apparent winner. She was almost relieved. She hoped Zarkon would call it a draw, sending Shiro to a cell while the Emperor himself recuperated. That would give the couple time to figure a way out. 

 

Just as it seemed Zarkon was about to call it off, she lost the connection. She felt her blood run cold. Surely it couldn’t mean….

 

Try as she might, she couldn’t find Shiro. She tried to think what could have cut off their connection, but her mind kept circling back to the same conclusion, the dreaded conclusion she couldn’t accept, didn’t want to accept….

 

Sarah brought her focus back to the cell she was in. Opening her eyes, she found her eyes wet and overflowing and her hands clenched into fists. She didn’t know how to handle loss, especially the loss of her entire universe. Instead, she focused on those who had taken him from her. Snarling, she threw her head back and screamed, unleashing her anger through magic and demolishing the cell and surrounding hallway. 

 

Seething, she stepped out and began running towards where she knew Zarkon and Hagger were. She didn’t care about preserving her energy, using it wisely; she wanted to use every bit she had to unleash the full force of her anger and pain. Troops and troops of Galra sentries attacked her, but they could not penetrate the barrier she had formed through quintessence pressure. By forcing it all out, she was invulnerable to projectiles. 

 

Sarah absolutely tore apart Zarkon’s forces, destroying anything that made the mistake of crossing her path. It wasn’t until something exploded nearby that she noticed she was rapidly weakening. She ignored it, forcing herself to continue forward, to avenge the love of her life. She didn’t care what happened to her afterwards.

* * *

“You make a fine adversary, Paladin.” Zarkon said, panting slightly. 

 

Shiro frowned; neither of them had sustained any kind of grievous wound, their fight had essentially been a tie, and Zarkon looked like he had just enjoyed a game instead of a fight to (what Shiro thought) the death. Something was very wrong. 

 

The Galra officers from earlier grabbed his arms, forcing them behind him as they once again put cuffs on his wrists. They forced him to his knees, holding him there until Hagger appeared and kept him motionless with magic. “What’s going on?” he demanded, wriggling as much as he could in the Dark Witch’s magical binding. A thousand thoughts flooded his mind. Are they going to kill me now? What did they do with Sarah? Was this just some sort of test? 

 

Suddenly an explosion not too far shook the ship. As alarms began to sound, Zarkon chuckled. “I take it you were successful?” he asked Hagger, joining her in front of him. 

 

“Oh yes. Very.” she answered, grinning in a way that made his blood run cold. With a wave of her hand a holoscreen appeared before them. It showed Sarah, running through the ship and absolutely destroying everything in her way. 

 

Shiro couldn’t understand. He supposed this was what the other Sarah had done when she learned of her Shiro’s death…..but _he_ wasn’t dead. “What did you do?” 

 

“You haven’t noticed? You don’t feel her missing presence?” His eyes went wide as he realised what the Dark Witch had done. Her smile widening, she continued. “I wanted to see how far a White Witch could go.”

 

Shiro felt his heart sink as he realised what she meant. Them being captured was so Hagger could run a final test on Sarah. Him fighting Zarkon….Hagger cutting their connection…..they knew losing him would drive Sarah over the edge. 

 

Turning back to the screen, he watched as Sarah grew weaker, staggering into walls on occasion. “Please,” he begged desperately, watching in horror as he wife began to cough up blood. “Please, you know now, this is her limit, _please_.”

 

“Oh I think not. She’s still breathing, isn’t she?” Hagger said, amused by the emotional torture he was suffering. 

* * *

As her vision became fuzzy, Sarah realised she could only push herself so far with White Magic alone. Falling to her hands and knees, she was desperate for something, anything to carry her just a little more. Just as she was about to use Black Magic, she remembered the promise she made Shiro. 

 

_“I need you to promise me something, too.”  
_

_Sarah observed his face carefully before nodding._

_“Whatever happens…don’t lose yourself. Don’t give in to black magic.” He cradled her face in his hands. “I know you’d destroy the universe for me.” He shook his head slightly as she opened her mouth to speak, confused. “I know. If anything happens to me….don’t lose who you are. Promise me, please.” he pleaded.  
_

_Sarah furrowed her brows, concerned, but after a moment she nodded. “I promise.” she said steadily. “I promise.”_

She began sobbing as she realised she wouldn’t be able to avenge him. It comforted her slightly to know that he wouldn’t want that. “I promise, Shiro.” she panted, falling over onto her back. She knew she was dying. She hated that she had to die in Galra territory, but she focused on Shiro. “I’ll see you in a moment….” she whispered, smiling weakly.

* * *

Shiro was full on sobbing by the time she stopped breathing. He couldn’t stand it; he had unintentionally assisted his enemies indirectly killing his wife. He felt Hagger’s binding magic lift but didn’t move. There wasn’t any point in fighting back now. 

 

Galra officers appeared on the screen, checking her pulse before lifting her limp form up. “No, leave her alone!” he cried. Hagger sneered and shut off the screen. “What more could you possibly want?!”

 

“That’s none of your concern. Take him away.” she said, gesturing to the Galra officers who pulled him to his feet and all but dragged him away. 

 

They shoved him roughly into a cell after undoing his cuffs. Shiro lay where he fell, lost in grief. He only barely registered there were more explosions, this time on the far side of Zarkon’s ship. It didn’t matter. Whether it was a rescue or something else, it didn’t matter. Nothing did anymore. 

* * *

On the other side of the ship, a Dularian, his human sister, and a Red Paladin ran through the halls, cutting down the sentries in their path. Turning a corner, they found two Galra officers, one with the White Witch’s limp form draped over their shoulder. After the Galra were taken care of, Krisox held his sister close, taking his other sister’s hand. The Red Paladin watched as the three siblings began to glow, staring in awe as the Witch took a breath. 


	107. Revive

She didn’t understand. She had died, hadn’t she? Then how could she hear her siblings’ voices? Feel Zarkon’s ship rock beneath her from far off explosions? Everything felt fuzzy and hazy; everything except her memory. 

 

She slowly opened her eyes, finding her vision blurry and the world seemed muffled for some reason. As her eyes focused, she found her sister’s and then her brother’s, their relieved faces becoming clear. 

 

She wanted to ask questions but she wasn’t sure if she was actually making any noise. After a moment, she found her hearing return to normal, but she could only just barely make out what they were saying through the cacophony around them. 

 

“We got you, don’t worry.” Krisox was saying, lifting her up in his arms. Kayla hovered nervously, relieved that Sarah was alive but still on edge. 

 

“Sarah, where’s Shiro?” Keith asked. She looked around, confused; why hadn’t she seen Keith? 

 

“Now’s not the time, we’ll have to find him another way.” Kayla said sharply. 

 

They were running now, she heard Keith behind them, protesting, but she couldn’t hear what he was saying. She felt so tired…

 

“Don’t close your eyes again, please.” Krisox begged. “Just hang on a little longer, then you can rest all you want.” 

 

“I don’t….understand…” she murmured. 

 

“Don’t worry about it.” Kayla said from Krisox’s side. 

 

Before she knew it, they were in Krisox’s ship. He gently lowered her to the floor, where Kayla sat ready, easing her older sister’s head into her lap. 

 

“Sarah, please, where’s Shiro? Where did they take him?” Keith asked again anxiously. 

 

Her eyes found his face and she found herself at a loss for what to say. She felt tears well up and then spill over as she struggled to speak. “H-he’s….he’s….” 

 

Keith’s face drained of colour and he shook his head in disbelief and denial. “No….no!” he said, softly at first. “He’s not dead, he’s not, I’ll prove it!” 

 

“Keith, wait!” Kayla yelled after him as the Red Paladin ran back into Zarkon’s central command. “Krisox, what do we do?”

 

“His Lion’s nearby, I’m sure she’ll come bail him out. We need to get Sarah to the castle.” 

 

Sarah saw the small ship’s hatch close and felt it take off. She heard explosions all around them, but they soon faded. She lost track of time again, as the next thing she was aware of was Allura carrying her. 

 

“I don’t think she’ll need to be in for long.” she assured Kayla, who Sarah saw was once again hovering. Sarah felt herself being eased into a medical pod. “Just rest now.” Allura said soothingly, as Sarah closed her eyes. 

* * *

“But….they can’t have….” Allura’s voice said in shock. 

 

Sarah slowly eased her eyes open, finding Allura seated at the bottom of her bed, conversing with Kayla who sat on the floor. Sarah mumbled incoherently, turning over and burying her face in her pillow. 

 

One of the girls began rubbing her back while they continued their conversation in lowered voices. “That’s what she….that was….” Kayla whispered, struggling to get the words out. 

 

“He’s gone.” Sarah sobbed, her voice muffled by the pillow. “H-he’s….Shiro’s _gone_.” 

 

She felt Allura shift in the bed and then her friend was scooping her up, embracing her. “I’m so sorry.” she cried, holding Sarah tightly. 

 

She didn’t know how long she spent crying into Allura’s shoulder. At some point, she must have fallen asleep again, because when she next opened her eyes, Allura and Kayla were asleep and Tei was curled up in front of her, watching her mother owlishly. 

 

“Don’t be sad, Mani.” the little girl whispered, caressing Sarah’s cheek. “Pani want you to smile. H-he loved your smile.” Tei whimpered, giving in to tears. Sarah scooped her close, holding her daughter against her chest and kissing her head. She realised that, though she wasn’t sure how to live without him, she still had children to look after. It was selfish and foolish of her to have wanted to seek vengeance even if it cost her her life. Shiro would want her to live and be a mother to their children and to smile…

* * *

Keith skillfully navigated the ship, managing to go completely undetected. He had a vague idea where Zarkon kept his prisoners, but beyond that he wasn’t completely sure how to find Shiro. _And he would find him_. Even if he was….Keith didn’t want to think it. Either way, he was determined not to leave without Shiro. 

 

Starting to get desperate, he snuck into a room with computer consoles, destroying the two sentries before closing the door and approaching the largest console. Placing his hand on the touchscreen, it registered his Galra side and gave him access. Quickly, he began searching through various files, hoping he’d be able to understand one of them; he still couldn’t read the Galra language. 

 

Luckily for him, what looked like a prisoner record showed up with Shiro’s face. Mimicking keyboard movements he had seen Pidge do, he managed to pull up a map that showed him where Shiro’s cell was. He took a picture of the holoscreen with his helmet before setting off again. 

 

Not wanting to create a disturbance, he fought almost every single urge that told him to cut through all the robots and Galra soldiers who crossed his path; instead, he took a page from Sarah’s book and crawled into the air ventilation shafts. It was a tight squeeze for him, as he wasn’t as small as Sarah, but he managed. 

 

It seemed to take him forever to reach his destination, and after he did he had to wait inside the vent across from the door for what felt like an hour. But when his window of opportunity came, he jumped on it. 

 

The door opened at his touch, and in the half second between touching it and it withdrawing fully he felt his stomach twist in dread. What if Shiro really was….?

 

It took him a second for his eyes to adjust. When they did, he sighed in relief. Shiro was huddled in a corner, alive; he stared at Keith in disbelief. “Keith, what are you…how did you…” Shiro asked, his voice hoarse. 

 

“C’mon, I’m here to get you out. I knew you were alive, I just knew it.” He was so relieved he was almost giddy. 

 

“Who told you otherwise?” Shiro asked, standing up. 

 

“Sarah did. I don’t know what gave her that idea, but she apparently fully believed it so I’m sure she’ll be beyond happy to see you. Let’s get going, I don’t-Shiro?” Keith asked, confused because Shiro was now frozen in place.

 

“This is just another trick, isn’t it?” the Black Paladin asked darkly. “I’m tired of your games, Witch! Haven’t you d-done enough….?” He hiccuped as he broke down into tears. 

 

“What? Shiro, I don’t understand.” Keith said, furrowing his brow in confusion. 

 

“She’s _dead_.” Shiro spat. “Sarah’s dead because of your trickery.”

 

Keith noticed Shiro was shaking; whether with fury or from crying, he couldn’t tell. “Shiro…she’s not. I mean, she was….but Krisox and Kayla did something, they brought her back.” 

 

“Stop lying to me!” Shiro snarled. 

 

“I’m not lying!” Keith said, starting to get annoyed. “What will it take for you to believe I’m not that old hag?” 

 

Shiro scrutinised him for a long moment before answering. “What did Sarah tell you when we were hanging ornaments on the Christmas tree.” 

 

“She said we…the Voltron team…we’re a family. And family means nobody gets left behind.” Keith answered, his gaze falling to his feet; he wasn’t comfortable talking about emotional topics. In the silence that followed, he timidly glanced back up at Shiro, whose face had softened but now looked confused. 

 

“I don’t understand….I watched her d-die….” 

 

“I’m sure her brother and sister can explain it better than me, but can we get moving please?”

* * *

Sarah lay in the bed she and Shiro had shared with Chi sleeping on her chest, Aury under one arm and his brother the other, and Tei and V’selle fast asleep and clinging to her legs. She didn’t know how long they had been like this; ever since the grim news was broken to the children, they just wanted to be near her, cling to her almost desperately. She didn’t mind; in fact, she loved it. She needed them at the moment just as much as they needed her. She wished she could at least sleep, but found herself unable to, instead staring at the ceiling blankly for what felt like eons. 

 

Sarah languidly noticed there was a commotion somewhere in the castle, but didn’t care to try and guess what it was. She didn’t know if this was grief that she was feeling or what, but she didn’t feel like caring about the various going-ons in the ship. She just wanted to sleep for a very long time, holding her children. 

 

The door opening made her squint from the sudden brightness, but she didn’t look up until he said her name.

 

“Sarah….?” 

 

She frowned, looking over to find her husband standing in their room, staring at her in disbelief. Had she fallen asleep and was now in a dream? But, no….she was aware of the weight of Chi on her chest. 

 

“You’re….alive……” he murmured; it seemed like he thought _he_ was in a dream. 

 

“I don’t understand, am I hallucinating now?” she asked emotionlessly; _that’d just be the cherry on top of this already shitty cake._

He smiled softly and began crying…but they seemed to be happy tears. “No, baby, I’m real.” He walked over and knelt down next the bed, caressing her face with his human hand. “I’m real, I’m alive, I’m here.” 

 

“B-but I don’t-I couldn’t-” she stammered, crying now. She was afraid to give in to false hope, but he seemed so _real_ ….was he…?

 

“Pani…?” Chi asked softly, rubbing her eyes. “Pani!” The little girl squealed in delight, waking up her brothers and sisters as she threw herself at Shiro, wrapping her arms around his neck. 

 

The rest of the children began hopping around excitedly, each trying to hug part of their father. Sarah found herself immobile with shock as the realisation slowly washed over her. Bringing herself back to the present, she shifted to sit on her knees, framing his face with her hands and gazing into his eyes. “This is real…you’re real….” she murmured to herself. 

 

“I’m real, I’m here.” he whispered lovingly, wrapping his arms around her middle and pulling her close against him. 

 

It felt like an emotional dam burst as she began crying heavily. “I thought you-I thought you had-” she said, almost incoherently as she wrapped her arms around his neck and embraced him. 

 

“I know. I know. Hagger….she did something. I’m just so relieved….I watched you d-die…” he said, his voice becoming thick with emotion. 

 

“I think I…I think I did die…but Krisox and Kayla did something….”

 

“That’s what Keith said.” Shiro pulled back, caressing her face, his eyes glistening with tears. “I never thought I’d see you again…hear your voice, gaze into your eyes, feel you alive and warm in my arms…” 

 

Sarah giggled, feeling slightly flushed, but she leaned forward and kissed him, deeper than she ever had before. 

* * *

Shiro rested his head on her chest, arms wrapped around her middle as she rubbed his back and held his hand. They were both so relieved the other was alive and well they didn’t care to move for hours. He relished the sound and feel of her heartbeat, the way her stomach rose and fell with every breath. He knew she just needed to feel him, his presence and pressure grounded her. He felt at peace with the universe, holding his small wife whom he had lost for the briefest period of time. He never wanted to let her go again. 


	108. The Tracker

“Ya know, there’s one thing we still really need to address.” Sarah said a few days after being reunited with her love. She sat in Shiro’s lap, her arms around him as he held her close, his head resting against her chest. 

 

“Yea? What’s that?” he asked, his deep voice creating pleasant vibrations that made her smile. 

 

“The tracker.”

 

“Yea…I can’t figure out any other way they might have found you, but they shouldn’t have been able to. I’m stumped.” Pidge said, shrugging defeatedly. 

 

“I think there’s a bit of magic to it.” 

 

“Oh….well, that’d explain it. I don’t know how to handle that.” 

 

“What can we do?” Shiro asked, straightening up so he could watch her face. “Can we disable it?”

 

“Unfortunately, no. Like, the machine part sure. But I don’t know how the magic part works or how to disable that. But we have to do something, otherwise she’s just gonna keep coming after me.”

 

“So we just keep moving so she can’t catch up.” he said, tensing slightly. 

 

“Life on the run? For like, ever?” Sarah asked skeptically.

 

“Whatever it takes to keep you safe and out of her hands.” he said firmly. 

 

“That’s not the kind of life I want our kids to deal with….and you have responsibilities, and can you imagine how little sleep I’d get? I need my ten hours, babe.” she replied; she couldn’t help but slip in a little joke. 

 

“Sarah….” he said patiently, giving her a look. 

 

“I know, I know. But I have an alternative.”

 

“Oh?”

 

“I know someone who could remove it, who has the surgical abilities and the magical knowledge necessary.”

 

“Who’s that?” Pidge asked from across the room. 

 

“Well…my mother.” 

* * *

“Nu-uh, now way.” Pidge insisted angrily. “We can’t make the time to find my family because we have to focus on the big picture and Voltron and saving the universe, but we jump at the opportunity to find Sarah’s when it’s convenient?” 

 

“Convenient? Pidge, that witch has a tracker in my sister. Basically our only options are to have Sarah go on the run and keep running until that hag dies, or break our mother out of Galra jail and have her surgically remove it. And she is the _only_ one capable of it.” Krisox retorted. 

 

Sarah stood slightly away from the gathered group in the control room, her arms wrapped around Shiro’s middle as he rubbed her back and occasionally kissed the top of her head. She knew bringing up her idea would upset Pidge, but she still wasn’t prepared for it. 

 

“So what’s it gonna take to save my family, huh?” Pidge shouted, crying slightly. “Do I have to suffer a grievous wound? Or-” 

 

“Pidge, enough.” Shiro said, his tone gentle but firm and full of authority. “I’m sorry but this is the way it has to be. We will look for your father and brother at every opportunity, just as we have in the pass. Right now, rescuing Sarah’s parents takes priority because that tracker puts everyone in danger, _especially_ Sarah.” Glancing over, it looked like Pidge was about to snap back, but Shiro silenced them, his tone more menacing now. “ _And Sarah isn’t leaving my side_.” 

 

Silence followed; Pidge was still steaming, but seemed to understand they had lost this battle. After a moment, Allura walked to the control center, pulling up a map on the holoscreen. “Kayla, Krisox, do you know where they were taken?” 

 

“Yea, I think, at least. We got separated and I was kinda on the run for a solid year but I think I remember where they were taken.” Kayla answered, approaching the screen. 

 

“You were on the run?” Sarah asked, confused. She realised she hadn’t asked her sister about her time after their home fell to the Galra; she had thought it’d be best not to, but she was now getting the sense that she should have. 

 

“Yea, I’ll tell you about it later, if I remember.” Kayla said nonchalantly. “Okay, there. That’s where they are.” She pulled up an image of a space station the size of a large asteroid. “At least, that’s where they were _taken_ , last I heard. They could have easily been moved to a work camp somewhere.” 

 

“It’s a place to start.” Allura said with an appreciative nod. “Let’s get going, shall we? Oh, except for you two.” she said, pointing to Sarah and Shiro. 

 

The couple frowned. “What do you mean?” Sarah asked. 

 

“I want you two to go to Stiea K2, wait for us there. I don’t want Hagger to surprise us, and from my understanding the Deep Slums are virtually impenetrable, correct?” she asked, glancing at Krisox, who nodded. “We’ll get your parents and rendezvous there. And from what I gather there should be a medical facility outfitted for such an operation.”

 

“If it wasn’t destroyed by the Galra.” Krisox commented. 

 

“Still.” Allura continued. “Take Darling and go to Stiea K2. We’ll message you after we have your parents and are en route.” 

* * *

Sarah’s ship became rather packed as they took off for her home. Kayla and the children had joined them, as Kayla wasn’t much for combat and they didn’t want to endanger the children; the castle was headed for deep within Galra territory. When they reached Stiea K2′s upper atmosphere, Sarah hailed Aya, alerting her to their imminent arrival. 

 

“Little Witch! Good to see. You have much company?” she greeted them. “Drop by your house, we will collect there.” 

 

Sarah flew through the empty skyways, past the various districts until she reached her home. She didn’t figure that her house’s parking would have power, so she just settled Darling down on the roof. 

 

“Whoa.” Shiro murmured after he stepped out of her ship. “This place really is something.” 

 

“Yea.” Sarah said, beaming proudly. She waited until everyone was out before locking Darling and activating her invisibility. “Down this way. Probably don’t judge based on the current state of things, I think either the Galra or looters ran through here….though honestly it looked like a tornado….” 

 

Sure enough, just as she remembered, her house was a mess. “I don’t know,” Kayla said when they passed Sarah’s room. “Your room doesn’t look much different to me.” 

 

“Hey!” Sarah retorted, sticking her tongue at her little sister. “Ah, hey Aya!” she said as they descended the stairs. Aya and Flayga were waiting for them in the living room, watching the party curiously. “Hi, Flayga! This annoyance is my little sister-” Kayla playfully shoved her. “-this is my husband, Shiro, and these are our kids, we took them in, the Galra had uh…well…” Aya nodded understandingly. 

 

“No Stardown?” Flayga asked, her four eyes roving over the group as her face circled through the colour wheel. 

 

“No, he’s with the others rescuing our parents.” 

 

They nodded and turned to Aya, gesturing towards the underground labs. 

 

“Let’s get going then. Same setup as last time.” Aya informed her. “Though they littlings, they Uptops. Same rules.” 

 

Sarah nodded understandingly and followed the two, leading the way for the rest of the group as they descended into the Deep Slums. 


	109. The Reason He survived

The next week found the group doing odd jobs for the Lost Girls. The underground dwellers had graciously set up a room for them-a luxury below the surface-and so Shiro, Sarah, and Kayla felt it necessary to volunteer to help out. For Shiro, this meant heavy lifting. For Kayla it meant helping out in the kitchens. For Sarah it meant babysitting her kids and ten others who lived on the uppermost levels of the Deep Slums. Aya had asked if she could teach them some things, as they didn’t have the time nor the resources to do so themselves. Sarah had warned Aya that she didn’t really know how to teach children how to read and write, but the leader had insisted that anything she could teach would be fine. 

 

So she started with astrophysics and cosmology. 

 

“Why Little Witch start hard?” she overheard someone ask Aya once. 

 

Glancing out of the corner of her eye, she saw Aya shrug. “She know it. They learning. That’s all I asked.” Sarah couldn’t help but smile to herself. 

 

“So what did you learn from Mani today?” Shiro asked their children just before bed at the end of the week. 

 

“There might be a fifth fundamental force called Dark Force that works with Dark Matter and Dark Energy!” Chi piped up, hopping up and down excitedly. 

 

“And Earth scientists found maybe some evidence of it by firing molecules at each other and watching what happens!” Aury added, mimicking the molecules with his feathered hands. 

 

Shiro gave Sarah a look that read “you’re teaching theoretical astrophysics to children?”, though he also seemed amused. 

 

“Bedtime!” Sarah said, sliding onto the cot next to Shiro and getting comfy as the children joined them. V’selle wormed her way under Sarah’s arm, resting her head on her mother’s chest while Chi and Tei snuggled up close to Shiro. The boys decided it was a good idea to sleep on their parents, earning a laugh from both of them. 

* * *

A few days later they received word from Allura that they had been successful in rescuing Sarah’s parents and were en route to meet up with them. Sarah and Kayla were very excited, having not seen their parents for at least two years. Sarah also found herself nervous. 

 

“What’s the matter, baby?” Shiro asked her later that evening, tugging at her hands lazily to pull her into his chest. 

 

“I’m just afraid they might be a little disappointed….they had always warned me about what overuse of White Magic can do and I mean…” she trailed off, her gaze downcast. 

 

“I’m sure they won’t be, they’ll be so happy to see you alive and well I’m sure it won’t matter.” he said, gently raising her chin to look at him before softly kissing her. 

 

The next day, Sarah, Kayla, and Shiro returned to the former’s house to await the rest of the crew’s arrival. Flayga took over for Sarah, watching all fifteen of the children; Sarah thought they might unintentionally overwhelm her parents, and she didn’t want that to be their first impression. 

 

Shiro waited in the living room with Sarah as Kayla paced. The girls were bickering slightly, but he knew it was inconsequential; they’d forget about it as soon their parents were home again. 

 

Sure enough, when their front door opened and their brother announced the party’s presence, the girls dropped their argument and ran to the entry hall. Smiling to himself, Shiro stood and followed. He wasn’t prepared for what lay around the corner. 

 

At first all he saw was a heartwarming scene of a family united. But then he recognised her face, and waves of terrible memories washed over him, from his time in the hands of the druids. For a second he feared he hadn’t escaped after all, but Sarah’s voice grounded him. He focused on her and took steady breaths, trying to calm down. 

 

“Shiro, what is it?” she asked gently, right in front of him. 

 

He found he couldn’t answer; he felt nauseous suddenly. But her mother answered for him. 

 

“I was forced to assist the druids with…the Champion…” she said sadly. “They found out i know human anatomy and biology and was skilled in surgical procedures….” As his vision came back to the present, he looked up, meeting her apologetic gaze. “I’m so sorry….they threatened our lives….”

 

“Oh, well that explains that.” Krisox said rather tactlessly. 

 

“Explains what?” Sarah snapped, her arms around Shiro’s shoulders. 

 

“I could never figure out how the druids had skillfully performed an operation of that magnitude when they had little to no prior knowledge on humans.” he answered matter-of-factly, as if it were obvious. “Mom’s probably the reason he survived it.” 


	110. Parents

A few hours later, Shiro was sleeping soundly in their cot, courtesy of tea Flayga had provided. When they had returned from Sarah’s house, he was shaking terribly. The curious alien approached them without saying a word, offering him the cup of warm tea and suggesting he sleep. Sarah smiled at his slumbering face, leaning in to kiss his forehead before going to join her parents outside. 

 

After embracing her mother and father for a long moment, they got down to business. “So where is the tracker located?” 

 

Sarah turned around, exposing the back of her neck and feeling the small bump where her head met her neck. “We think there’s a bit of magic to it, as well as a gadget.”

 

“That seems excessive.” her mother commented as she gently felt the raised skin. 

 

“Well, that’s the hag….she’s all kinds of extra.” 

 

“And this is Zarkon’s right hand, correct?” her father asked, his gaze concerned. 

 

“Yea.” Sarah answered, turning back around. “She’s kind of….become obsessed with me. Not in a good way. To be fair, I think I am the first White Witch she’s encountered in centuries, and I did kind of kill two of her druids….” she trailed off uncertainly, unsure how her parents would receive that news. They shared a look she couldn’t read, but much to relief changed the subject. 

 

“The Green and the Yellow one, they are good with machines?” her mother asked, pointing to Pidge and Hunk in turn. 

 

“Yea, real good. Why?” 

 

“We need to get the operating room back up to standards. There are bots that can do most of the work but….”

 

“I gotcha.” 

 

“N’eion,” she said to her husband. “Do you think you could recover books on human anatomy and surgical procedures from the archives?”

 

He nodded. “I’ll take Krisox. I’ll give you a call when we find them.” He kissed his wife before departing. “Be careful down there, Stena. You remember how we left it?” 

 

She nodded grimly, waving him off as he went to recruit Krisox. “Sarah dear, could you ask the Green one and the Yellow one if they would mind helping me with the robots?” she asked, turning to Sarah. 

 

“Sure thing!” she answered her mother brightly; she knew her mom had no idea how robots worked or how to fix them. Her science focused on living, organic matter, not machines. 

* * *

As the others worked, Stena took her daughter aside to have a private discussion with her. “You say you are married to the Champ-erm-Shiro?” 

 

“Yea….” Sarah said slowly, wary about where the conversation might be going. Her mother looked conflicted and reluctant to continue. 

 

“I can’t say I’m….keen….on you two being together…” she said carefully. 

 

“Why?”

 

“He….he’s the Champion. He was Hagger’s prize project. She boasted she was making the greatest weapon next to Voltron. When he escaped, she was enraged beyond belief. And now he’s a Voltron Paladin-the _head_ Voltron Paladin.”

 

“So?” Sarah retorted, a bit more snappishly than she intended. 

 

“So, what are the odds that you’d have faced Hagger in the first place if the two of you hadn’t become a couple.” Her mother braced herself, as if she were afraid Sarah might lash out. 

 

In truth, she had no reply. Her mother was right, but what did it matter? She loved Shiro and her life, albeit more dangerous, had improved dramatically with him in it. “I mean you aren’t wrong, mom, but….I love him so much. And I’m so happy with him….” Sarah said, her tone almost pleading, begging her mother to understand. 

 

“I know.” she said, nodding sadly. “But I just…I can’t ignore that he makes your life infinitely more dangerous than it could be. I wanted to protect you all from the dreadful war, keep you out of harm’s way….” Her mother took a shuddering breath before continuing. “And I find out Hagger has almost killed you on several occasions? She would not know of your existence if it hadn’t been for your connection to Shiro.” 

 

Tears sprung to Sarah’s eyes as she tried to find the right words to coax her mother to her side. Frustrated over her inability to think straight and upset that her mother wasn’t accepting of her husband, Sarah fully gave in to tears. 

 

“I’m sorry.” her mother said, pulling her in for a hug. “Take your time to formulate a reply if you need to.” 

* * *

Through the thin walls, Shiro sat in his cot, unintentionally eavesdropping on his wife and mother-in-law. He stared down at his hands as his eyes brimmed with tears. 


	111. Surgery

The next few days found everyone working to help prepare the surgical suite. Pidge and Hunk got the various robots working with ease, which pleasantly sped up the cleaning process. Shiro, Allura, and Hunk moved the heavy debris that the robots could not. Stena took Pidge to find some surgical robots to reanimate, as she was going to need them. 

 

Sarah got the sense that Pidge was still upset over the rescue of her parents before their family, but she didn’t have the time nor the energy to talk to them and smooth things out. If she were honest with herself, she was a little nervous about the surgery. She hadn’t ever needed any medical procedure that required anesthesia before. She knew her mother was highly skilled, but still, she found herself nervous. 

 

At the end of their second week on Stiea K2, the surgical suite was back in pristine condition, albeit missing a few pieces of the ceiling and walls. N’eion and Krisox had found and pulled several books from god knows where on human anatomy and surgery; Stena spent the night leading up to her daughter’s surgery reading and rereading the books. Allura seemed concerned, worried that Sarah’s mother wouldn’t get enough sleep, but Sarah assured the Altean that her mother’s species could function perfectly well with less sleep than humans and Alteans. 

 

“Sarah, you’re shaking.” Shiro commented in a soft voice, his brows furrowed in concern as he hugged her the morning before the operation. 

 

“Well, I’ve never experienced anesthesia before…I don’t really know what to expect.” she said with a nervous giggle. “And I mean….it is surgery…I know mom will do great and I’ll be good as new and tracker-free, but….” She trailed off, smiling appreciatively when Shiro nodded, understanding what she meant. 

 

Sarah had shoved her conversation with her mother to the back burner, as there were more pressing matters to focus on. She figured they could readdress it after the operation. 

 

Shiro walked her down to the surgical suite with her brother and sister, who would assist as needed; it wouldn’t be the first time, as it was common for the siblings to be in the operating room for one reason or another. Sarah had a feeling that wouldn’t fly on earth, but her parents were very careful and nothing bad ever came of it. 

 

“I’ll see you after.” she said brightly, sliding her arms around Shiro’s neck and pulling herself up into a kiss. When she pulled away, she noticed his eyes were still worried….and a little sad. She wanted to inquire further, but didn’t have that kind of time. 

 

“Okay, Kayla, if you don’t mind.” their mother said as the three of them entered the room. Kayla sat down on the floor, closing her eyes as she began to hum softly. Almost immediately, Sarah felt herself at ease and relaxing. Kayla had often helped their mother and her patients by projecting a soothing aura that seemed to make their worries go away. “Sarah, if you could.” she said, smiling to her daughter as she patted the surgery bed. 

 

It had a hole in it where she realised her head would go, almost like earth massage tables she had seen online. She took her glasses off and handed them to Krisox, who put them away somewhere she couldn’t see as her vision had instantaneously become a blurry mess. Climbing into the bed, she got herself situated and lowered her face into the hole. 

 

“Okay, I have the anesthesia going now, you should feel it’s effects….” She didn’t hear what else her mother said as the drug knocked her out. 

* * *

When she next came to, she felt extremely groggy and disoriented, but could tell she was in her bedroom. A blurry figure that she recognised as Allura from the blur of dark skin and the blur of white surrounding it. 

 

“Hey.” Allura said softly, kneeling next to the bed so they were eye level. “How do you feel?”

 

“Groggy as shit.” Sarah mumbled, she made to turn over but found herself very comfortable and unwilling to move. “Shit, I might just go back to sleep.” 

 

The princess chuckled. “You do that.” 

 

“Where’s Shiro?” 

 

“He’s ah….out walking with the kids. They were starting to get stir-crazy.” 

 

Sarah sort of picked up on Allura’s hesitation, but she felt like she was in a dream and could very well have imagined it. She closed her eyes again and when she opened them next she found it was nighttime and she no longer felt groggy. It concerned her that Shiro still wasn’t there with her. Sliding out of bed carefully so as to not wake Allura, she quietly snuck out of her room and down the stairs. 

 

Unfortunately, she had forgotten about the slightly squeaky stair. “Mmhello?” Keith’s voice asked from the darkness of the living room. 

 

“Hey.” she whispered, tiptoeing over to where she had heard his voice come room, hands outstretched as she navigated blindly. “Where’s Shiro?” she asked when she bumped into the couch and heard him stir. 

 

“He ah…he had a pretty massive anxiety attack after you went under. Flayga is with him now, trying to comfort him, she gave him more tea.” 

 

Sarah’s eyes were wide and worried; not that Keith could see them in the darkness. A thought struck her as odd. “Why are you here, why aren’t you with him?” she asked, very confused. 

 

“He was so worried about you but he really needed some one on one help with someone….better at….this stuff than me. But he kept insisting he had to be by your side, so I just…volunteered. Said I’d go in his place and watch over you.” Keith answered, trying to play it off as no big deal, but Sarah knew he was just as concerned for Shiro as she was. 

 

“I wanna see him, I wanna hold him.” she said, a slight note of anxiety in her voice. 

 

“You need to rest some more.” he insisted. 

 

“I’ve slept for god knows how long, I want to see my husband!” she said, almost angrily. 

 

She felt like they had a staring match in the dark to see who would cave and give in to the other’s wishes, but she wasn’t sure; it was dark and she was virtually blind. “Fine.” Keith sighed. “Come with me.” 

 

Keith led her through the labs into the upper level of the Deep Slums. Flayga and Shiro were in the room they had been granted by the Lost Girls. Flayga sat across from Shiro, humming, as her husband sat in the cot, knees to his chest, his arms resting on his knees and his face hidden. 

 

“Little Witch should not be here, should rest more.” Flayga said, transitioning between humming and speaking and back again fluidly. 

 

Shiro’s head snapped up and Sarah almost threw herself at him, embrace him tightly. “I’m so sorry baby, I’m so sorry…” she said, crying slightly. “You’ve been through so much, I should have been there, I could have…I could have…”

 

“That wasn’t possible…” Keith interjected softly. 

 

“You shouldn’t be sorry,” Shiro began, holding her as tightly as she was holding him. “I should be sorry. Your mother’s right, your life is so much more dangerous with me, you deserve to be safe and h-happy, you deserve a normal life…”

 

“Baby, you make me happy.” she said softly, pulling back slightly so she could see his face. She gently kissed his scar before kissing his lips, wanting to convey that he needn’t feel guilty over what he overheard her mother say. 

 

“I don’t know why you love me, I don’t deserve you…” he sobbed. 

 

“Takashi, don’t you dare think things like that!” she said, unsettled slightly; she didn’t know what to do. “Of course I love you…” A thought occurred to her. “I’m going to tell you every reason i can think of for why I love you.” she announced determinedly. 

 

Shiro mumbled something she couldn’t understand before resting his head against her chest. Sarah wrapped one arm around his shoulders and played with his hair with the other hand. 

 

“I love you because you are brave. You are good, so very good. You are selfless. You’ve been through so much trauma, haven’t seen earth in years save for that one day when you guys found the Blue Lion, but you’re willing to march into battle all the same. You’re incredible, baby.” She kissed the top of his head before continuing. “You adapt so easily to my crazy impulsiveness. I mean, I kind of adopted kids on the spot without conferring with you and you took it in stride, becoming one of the best fathers this universe has ever seen. I love you because you seem to…intuitively understand me, in ways I don’t even understand myself. You gave me the universe, baby. I love you because you make me happy, unbelievably happy, just being in your presence has drastically improved my life….” On and on she went, until they both laid back on the cot, tired but still holding each other. She began kissing his nose in between reasons, slowly drifting off to sleep. 


	112. You Can Have This Back

The next day, the team and Sarah’s parents returned to the castle, wanting to dispose of the tracker somewhere where Hagger could do nor harm. Sarah had particularly odd and specific request for it, but was forbidden from enacting her plan herself. Her mother almost forced her to stay in bed, not wanting to risk the stitches becoming undone or getting messed up. Krisox thought it was hilarious excitedly volunteered. 

 

After he left to complete her request, Sarah snuggled up with Shiro, who was still struggling with what she assumed was his PTSD. She had seen him in similar states before and had helped as best she could. In her early days in the castle she had picked up on his anxiety, and worked with the others to be supportive and help him, even if he ever came across as unreasonable or irritable. It had seemed to help somewhat, and she encouraged the rest of the team to keep at it to help their leader. She made it very clear that it was his brain working against him, not him, that made him so anxious. 

 

When they first started dating, she had frequently offered to listen to him talk about his experiences, and assured him that she would not judge him on what he could not help. He didn’t take her up on that offer very often and she assumed it was because he thought it’d be a bother to her. She was determined to make a weekly, routine thing to normalise it and help him through his troubles. 

 

The couple lay facing each other, Shiro caressing her cheeks and nose and forehead as though she were a goddess made of porcelain, and Sarah relaxing, enjoying the intimacy and occasionally booping his nose which earned her a smile from him and caused her to giggle. 

 

“I love you so much….” he whispered after many hours of them laying there comfortably. 

 

“I know, love.” she murmured, smiling. 

 

“I feel like I don’t say it enough.” 

 

“I think you do. And it’s not always you _saying_ it. Sometimes it’s you taking my weird quirks in stride. Sometimes it’s you understanding what I’m trying to say when i struggle to find the words. Sometimes it’s you respecting my boundaries and only making love in the ways I’m comfortable with.” Shiro blushed and she felt herself blush as well. She shrugged. “I think you…get the message across plenty.” 

 

He smiled, and closed the gap, kissing her gently. 

 

“Oh, I forgot, what did you do with our selfie in front of Zarkon’s throne?” he asked after they pulled apart. 

 

“Oh, it’s blowing up online.” she said, giggling. “I’m hoping it won’t go completely viral until the right moment though.” 

 

“The right moment? When would that be?” 

 

“I’ll know it when it comes.” she said, smiling slyly. 

* * *

The Dark Witch landed on the distant, frigid planet, in search of her prey. She didn’t know why the White Witch would come a barren wasteland planet, so cold nothing could survive on its surface. But this was where the tracker said she was. 

 

As she grew closer, she saw something in the distance; almost like it was carved into the mountain side, a giant white ‘W’ glowed brightly. Hagger teleported over, looking around in confusion and then anger; this was where the tracker said she was. Looking more closely, she saw a picture of her adversary and the Champion stuck to the rock. Snarling, she pulled it off and turned it around. 

 

There in a little bag was the tracker she had put inside her prey. And written on the back of the picture was: 

 

_“You can have this back.”_


	113. Come Around

Shiro stared adoringly at Sarah’s slumbering face, her head rising and falling as he breathed, his arms holding her close. He’d had trouble sleeping again ever since her surgery, but he didn’t mind it as much if it meant he could be with her, watch her sleep. 

 

A gentle knock at the door made him look up as it opened. Sarah’s mother, his mother-in-law, stepped inside quietly. “May I have a word? You don’t have to move.” 

 

He frowned, confused, but nodded, watching as she pulled a chair beside the bed. 

 

“I’m terribly sorry to cause you such distress.” she began after they sat in silence for a moment. I did not intend to do so. I had hoped to talk with both of you, but you were sleeping and there was a moment to spare…” she trailed off, watching her daughter sleep peacefully and smiling. 

 

“I understand your views. I held them too, and I still do…” he sighed heavily. “Before….I wasn’t sure if it was a good idea….but she had already proven herself more than capable in missions, and I thought, if she’s by my side, I can protect her…she was determined to help our cause in whatever way she could so I knew she wouldn’t leave if i even tried to make a case.” He stroked Sarah’s hair, smiling softly. 

 

“When she makes up her mind about something, seldom can she be swayed.” Stena said, nodding. 

 

Shiro chuckled. “She may be stubborn sometimes but…she can do some amazing things. Not just magic. Before she started using it, we freed a planet’s people from Galra control, and as we were getting ready to leave some of the remaining Galra forces attacked. She accidentally got left behind and we couldn’t return for three days because of the Galra’s pursuit.” He kissed the top of her head, sighing fondly. “When we returned, we discovered she had united the warring clans, creating one society where they functioned harmoniously together. We couldn’t believe it. In three days time, she had united groups that had been at war for centuries, and set up a new form of government for them…we were blown away. The people called her their god queen.” 

 

Stena smiled warmly. “I always knew my children were destined for greatness.” She sighed. “They’d already been through so much when we took them in…I knew Stiea K2′s efforts to keep the Galra at bay wouldn’t hold forever, but I thought maybe it will hold long enough for the girls to have a safe, normal life.” 

 

“I still can’t believe two of the happiest, kindest, purest people I know entered the Universe at large in such a traumatic manner. The way they light up the room…” 

 

Stena nodded. They sat in silence for a moment, his mother-in-law seemingly lost in thought as he listened to his wife’s slow, gentle breathing. “As things cannot be helped….” she began; Shiro raised his gaze to give her full attention. “I will…come around, as the humans say. I see how much you two love each other, and I know how capable she can be. It will just take some getting used to…” She smiled and he returned it appreciatively. “I’ll take my leave now. You should get some sleep. It’s not healthy for humans to not get enough sleep.” 

 

He was about to reply, but with a wave of her hand, relaxation overcame him and he drifted off into a deep slumber.


	114. The Guardians

“You know what I still can’t figure out?” Shiro asked Sarah as he, his wife, his sister-in-law, and Allura attempted yoga on the training deck. Kayla held her poses like a pro and led the group, being very patient as her wobbly pupils kept losing their balance. 

 

“What’s that?” Sarah asked, ignoring Kayla shushing them. 

 

“What happened on that gem planet? It just started like…self-destructing almost, completely out of nowhere.” 

 

“It _what_?” Allura asked, alarmed. 

 

“White was confused by that, too. Her theory is that Hagger’s presence disrupted the harmony of the planet, so it started trying to readjust and bring it back to a harmonious state.” Sarah answered, arms flailing slightly as she tried to stand on only one foot and failing. 

 

“Almost like antibodies fighting off an infection?” Shiro asked, also failing the pose. 

 

“Yea! Black Magic has a heaviness to it, that’s how it could detect its presence. And how I can, too, usually.”

 

“That’s fascinating, now shut up and move into this pose.” Kayla said curtly, earning a giggle from Sarah and a chuckle from Allura and Shiro. 

 

“You know what _I_ can’t figure out?” Allura began, causing Kayla to groan. “We’ve had a lot of easy, clean escapes lately. It always seems too good to be true, but we make it.”

 

“Oh, I’m glad someone brought that up, I was afraid I’d jinx it or something.” Sarah said with a nod. 

 

“Yea, I can’t think what it could be either. Keith and I met no resistance escaping. I was so concerned with….other things, I didn’t really think about it till now.” Shiro added with a nod, cringing slightly at the memory. 

 

“Krisox had a theory.” Kayla sighed, giving up and joining the conversation. “You know those who control the internet?” 

 

“Yes.” Sarah said as Shiro and Allura said “No.”

 

“Krisox thinks it’s them.” 

 

“I’m sorry, what?” Allura asked, confused. “Who controls the internet? I thought it just….was.” 

 

“No,” Sarah giggled. “There are these….beings who control and monitor it. I could tell you the simplified way it all works, but honestly, most of it is a mystery.”

 

“Okay what would they have to do with helping us escape?” Shiro asked. 

 

“Oh, they’re also the Guardians of the Universe.” Sarah said matter-of-factly. 

 

“What?!” Shiro and Allura asked at the same time, dumbfounded.  

 

“Yea they’re like….godlike, and along with making sure everyone’s connected, they make sure the fabric of the universe remains un…uhm….unfucked with, basically.” Sarah answered, pausing a moment to try and find the right word to use before giving up. 

 

“Krisox thinks that Hagger and Zarkon are really fucking with the universe, and even though the Guardians can’t directly interfere, they can indirectly like….nudge things the way they want em to go.” Kayla continued with a nod. 

 

“So….gods of the universe have been helping us escape.” Allura stated in disbelief. 

 

“Yea, that sounds a bit difficult to believe.” Shiro said, slightly unsure. 

 

“Believe it or not, that’s up to you, but that doesn’t change the fact that they exist and this is very in character for them.” Sarah said with a shrug before sliding into the next pose Kayla was demonstrating. 

 

“How can you be so sure?” Allura asked, skeptical now. 

 

“Cause they personally reached out to us and allowed us to connect to Earth’s internet. See, they are of the opinion that Earth isn’t ready to join the universal community yet, so all things Earth-related are monitored heavily. But since we’re humans, they gave us and our parents access, under the condition that we do not reveal the universe at large to anyone.”

 

Allura and Shiro stared wide eyed at her, not sure what to make of the development. 

 

“I also have a feeling they’re the ones responsible for you going into that other universe for a bit. With the Sarah that went over the edge and started using Black Magic.” 

 

“What?!” Allura asked in shock as she lost her balance and dropped her pose.

 

“The fuck?!” Kayla almost shouted, dropping yoga for the moment and facing her sister. 

 

“Oh…um…shit did we not tell you about that…?” Sarah asked meekly as Shiro scratched the back of his head, embarrassed. 

 

“That might be my bad.” he said with a nervous chuckle. 

 

“I’m just as at fault as you are.” Sarah said with a shy smile. 

 

“You wanna fill us in?” Kayla asked sharply. 

 

“Oh yea. I don’t know how I got there, but in that universe, I….that Shiro…died fighting Zarkon one on one. And that Sarah…something broke inside her and she became very angry. Revenge became her sole focus, her only motivation. It was hinted that she was tearing the universe apart in her quest.” Shiro explained, grimacing at the memory. 

 

“What happened then? How’d you get back?” 

 

“We went to Zarkon’s central command, to use Hagger’s circle, but something went wrong. She….ah….she died, but not before sending me back, I think. Cause next thing I knew, I was in bed in _this_ universe with _my_ Sarah.” he finished, wrapping his arm around Sarah and pulling her to him. Looking down, he found her staring off pensively. “Hey, what’s up?” 

 

“It’s just…we got to that moment, that pivotal point….I did almost give in to Black Magic, I knew I was dying and it could save me….but then I remembered the promise I made to you…”  She paused frowning. “But…it was a trick, it was Hagger’s trick, you hadn’t actually died….” She shook her head before wiping her eyes.

 

“What is it?” he asked softly, gently raising her chin so their eyes could meet.

 

“What if….that’s how it was over _there_ , too…..and she broke and went over the edge and died for nothing….” she murmured, her eyes glistening. 

 

Shiro froze. He hadn’t thought about that. It was very likely what had actually happened. 

 

“Well, hey, you guys avoided that outcome in this universe, and everything was fine in the end….?” Kayla said, trying to cheer her sister up. 

 

“Why….why do you think your Guardians were responsible for Shiro going there?” Allura asked cautiously. 

 

“That Sarah was destroying that universe. They didn’t want it to happen here.” Sarah said simply, as if it were obvious. 

 

“They can communicate between universes?” 

 

“No one knows the full scope of their power.” Kayla said, jumping in so Sarah wouldn’t have to go more in depth. She was thankful; she had become exhausted and was now resting her head against Shiro’s chest. “But I wouldn’t put it past them.” 

 

The group stood in a heavy silence for a moment, each of the four lost in their own thoughts. 

 

“Well,” Allura began after a while. “at least they’re on our side?” she asked, smiling tentatively and visibly relaxing when Sarah returned the smile. 


	115. An Upset Pidge

It was almost impossible for Sarah to run through Vaynov’s crowded market in her platform shoes. It was mostly her fault, as she had insisted, but she now wholeheartedly regretted it. She almost fell when she skidded to a stop as an alien stepped in her path. 

 

“Aunchora wants a word with you.” he growled, smirking as his associate caught up behind her. 

 

“Oh, she wants more than a word.” she grumbled before swinging her fist around, catching the alien behind her by surprise. As he stumbled over, the other man grabbed her, wrapping his arms around her midsection and pinning her arms to her sides. Sarah stomped her foot down hard on his, stabbing him with the stiletto heel and causing him to release her as he cried out in pain. She didn’t regret the shoes as much anymore. 

 

The alien she had punched was regaining his composure, straightening up and balling his hands into fists. She braced herself, waiting for him to punch. When he did, she caught his fist in her hand, grabbing hold and pulling him towards her. She swiftly brought her knee up to strike him in the abdomen, causing him to double over in pain. 

 

Movement behind her caught her attention and she swung around, ready to punch the other asshole full in the face, but stopped in shock. 

 

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” Shiro growled at her assailant, his Galra hand holding the other’s wrist tightly. The alien had clearly been on the verge of attacking when her husband showed up. Shiro headbutted the alien, causing the latter to drop like a sack of potatoes, before turning to her. “Sarah, what in the hell are you doing here?” 

 

“I could ask you the same question.” she countered defensively. _Uh-oh._ she thought. _I’m in some real trouble now._  “Nevermind that right now, there’s more coming.” She grabbed his hand and began running again. 

 

“I thought you said you were just helping your brother out with something small.” he accused, trailing just behind her so she could lead the way. 

 

“We….uh….underestimated it.” she said evasively. 

 

He started to ask her something but was cut off when an alien slammed into her from the side, causing her to fall over the railing of the small bridge they were on. Thinking quickly, she spun in the air and caught on the railing two levels down, panicking slightly as she felt her hands slip. 

 

“Sarah!!” Shiro called from twenty feet above her. Looking up, she smiled to see he was okay and climbing down. But her view was suddenly blocked by a rat-looking alien who had a blaster in her face.

 

“Aunchora sends her regards.” he growled.

* * *

## A week earlier…

 

Sarah fidgeted uncomfortably, uneasy in Pidge’s sullen silence. It had been over a week since they had returned to the castle after her surgery, but they still seemed angry and resentful over the rescuing of her parents before their family. It made Sarah feel incredibly guilty. 

 

“Sarah, you don’t have any reason to feel guilty.” Shiro said later when she confided in him. “That was totally out of your control and couldn’t be helped, we really didn’t have any other options. Pidge will get over it eventually and forget all about it when we find Matt and their dad.” He kissed her forehead, rubbing her back methodically. “There’s nothing we can do about it right now anyway. So don’t you go feeling guilty. Okay?” 

 

She nodded quietly, but still, her mind was not at ease. 

 

The next day, she pulled Krisox into his ship and closed the hatch. “Do you know of anyone in your circle who might have access to Galra intel we can’t get ahold of?” 

 

“My circle?” he chuckled. “Yea, well, maybe. She doesn’t exactly advertise, but I’m pretty sure she’s got Galra prison records. You want to find Pidge’s fam, right?” Sarah opened her mouth to express her surprise at him guessing her motive, but closed it and nodded. “I can probably get someone in to meet her.”

 

“Not you?” 

 

“Nah, she wants my head, best if I steer clear.” Sarah’s eyes widened, alarmed. “Hey, it comes with the territory.” he said nonchalantly, shrugging. “You wanna propose your plan to the crew?” 

 

“Well…not exactly. If it turns out this…whoever….doesn’t have anything….I don’t want to get Pidgey’s hopes up. We just say we’re running an errand or something, something small and not dangerous sounding, I don’t think it’d take long to confirm whether or not they have the intel, right?” 

 

“Probably not, but getting the intel would require some patience and….just be way more difficult.” he confirmed with a nod. “So, a secret mission?” he asked mischievously, smirking. 

 

“Yea, so?” Sarah said defensively. “I just….I don’t want to give everyone false hope. So we confirm it, and then fill them in.” 

 

“Makes sense. I can probably be ready to go in two hours.”

 

Sarah nodded appreciatively. “I’ll go get ready myself.”


	116. Aunchora

“So you walk in, go straight, and insist you see Aunchora.” Krisox repeated, walking her through his bare-bones plan for the fifth time. 

 

“I walk in and act like I own the place and doors will open.” she said dryly, hands on her hips. “And you’re sure doors will open? I don’t need to call ahead, make an appointment?”

 

“This is the crime capital of the universe, not a restaurant.” her brother answered snarkily. “This is how you get in.”

 

“How do you know if you’ve never done it before?”

 

“Because I know people who have done it before. Don’t worry, lil bit, I’ll be virtually by your side the whole way.” he said with a smirk, tapping his headset that had a direct link to her earpiece. The dark glasses she was wearing had a small camera and computer interface embedded in the lenses, granting Krisox a live POV shot of everything she saw as well as being connected to Nitro’s criminal database; he assured her it would pull up profiles of almost every alien she met via facial recognition. 

 

“Okay. Here goes jack shit.” she murmured, rolling her shoulders back and holding her head high before stepping out onto the busy street. 

 

The headquarters of Reign, the syndicate that belonged to Aunchora, was a straight shot from where they had been hiding. The siblings had landed near Nitro’s base before traveling through the secret underground to Reign’s territory. Krisox had somehow acquired small buildings in each territory, all connected to his private underground network. When she inquired further, he just said he liked to keep an eye on things. 

 

Leaving the castle hadn’t been as much of a hassle as she had expected it to be, but it still proved to be rather difficult to pry themselves away for even a short amount of time. As usual, Shiro didn’t want to let Sarah out of his sight. Kayla seemed slightly annoyed that she wasn’t invited; she actually liked going to Vaynov, but Sarah figured that was because she was virtually worshipped as a saint. Their parents didn’t like the idea of any of their children going to the crime-riddled planet, but trusted that their two eldest children could take care of themselves and were content with a promise to keep in frequent contact. 

 

Pushing through the crowd, Sarah tried to give off the aura that she was someone important, someone better than those around her. She hoped the arrogant demeanor would help her get in. At the very least, it made the crowds clear a path for her almost instinctively. 

 

When she reached the strange, almost Arabian nightclub that was Aunchora’s place of residence and base of operations, she was surprised that the bouncers didn’t even give her second look; they didn’t even move or react when she walked right past them. 

 

Inside the club was crowded and smoky, its low ceilings creating an almost claustrophobic atmosphere. She managed to save herself from feeling uncomfortable and anxious by pretending she owned the place. She belonged here. Everyone else seemed to melt away, avoiding her gaze and moving out of her way before she even got to them. She smiled inwardly, glad it was working. 

 

When she reached the back door, two burly guards held up their hands, stopping her. “Only authorised personnel beyond this point, ma’am.” 

 

“I’m here to see Aunchora. And I am going to see her.” she said, stating it as though it was a fact. 

 

“Aunchora doesn’t see people at random.” 

 

“I’m not random. And I’m not going anywhere until this door opens. So you can let me in or explain to your disappointed boss why you didn’t.” She rested one hand on her hip, tapping her chin with the other. “No, what is it she does with those who disappoint her…?” The two shared a nervous glance, making her smirk. _Thank god it’s working._

One of them opened his mouth to speak, but went quiet, his eyes darting to the side before he shared a look with his companion. 

 

“Okay, you may pass.” he said, as he and the other guard held open the double doors for her. 

 

“I’d suggest that you don’t waste my time again.” she said menacingly. _I hope I’m not overdoing it._

 

Inside was a small, comfortable lounge area, decked out in all sorts of fine furnishings. Everything was plush and luxurious, red and purple and gold. _This Aunchora really likes living in the lap of luxury._

 

“Darling,” a smooth, gentle, feminine voice called. A slender, pale alien that looked to be just barely taller than her stood up and approached her. “I was not expecting you.” she said, as though they were old friends. Aunchora delicately took Sarah’s hand and led her over to two armchairs on either side of what looked like an ivory coffee table. “How are you?” she asked, her black eyes watching Sarah closely. 

 

The small human crossed her ankles, making herself relax so she could successfully appear to be at ease. “As good as I’ll ever be, dear. I thought I’d surprise you.” she smiled. She could tell they were playing a game, and she was determined not to lose. 

 

“Well, you certainly did! A most pleasant surprise.” Aunchora’s eyes tightened slightly, as if she were trying to peer into Sarah’s mind. “Curious to see you in these parts. Are you really just here to visit little old me?” 

 

“I do admit, I have ulterior motive. I have a request, if it’s not too much trouble?” 

 

“Of course, anything for a _dear friend_.” the alien woman’s smile sent a shiver down Sarah’s spine, but she hid it well. “But before we get down to dusty old business, would you care to stay for dinner?” 

 

“I wouldn’t want to impose.” she said, just barely maintaining composure; she hadn’t expected this curveball. 

 

“Oh, think nothing of it.” She rose and gestured to an attendant behind her. “I’ll have Ainy here get you comfortable and let you know when dinner’s ready.” 

 

The attendant bowed her head as Sarah stood and motioned for her to follow. “You’re doing beyond excellent.” Krisox said in her ear, almost making her jump; she had forgotten he was listening in. “This is normal. No word on the food, proceed with caution, but I don’t think she really suspects too much of anything. If anything I think she’s curious. You’re playing her game nicely.” 

 

Sarah smiled to herself. _If it keeps going this swimmingly, we’ll be back in the castle by tomorrow._


	117. A Most Dangerous Game

Dinner seemed to go smoothly. Sarah just barely managed to eat enough to not offend her host, but it was difficult; mostly because she was a particularly selective eater, but also because of Krisox’s warning. Luckily for her, Aunchora didn’t seem to notice anything peculiar, and the two women maintained a steady stream of pleasant small talk throughout. 

 

After they finished, her host escorted her back to the lounge she had first met her in. “Okay, dear.” she said as they got settled. “What is your request?” 

 

“I was hoping you might know someone with access to Galra prison records.” 

 

“Well, you certainly get right down to it!” Aunchora said with a light, graceful laugh. 

 

 _Shit, should I not have been so direct?_  “I see no point in beating around the bush. I wouldn’t dare do you the disrespect of wasting your time.” Sarah couldn’t tell if the way the alien woman’s eyes sparkled was a good sign or a bad sign. She seemed, at worst, curious about Sarah. Hopefully she’d get the intel she wanted and be gone before her host could dig too deep. 

 

“Mmm, I must say, it is refreshing. Most like to lay the honey on thick. And while I do enjoy a good compliment, it can get to be most exhausting.” she sighed, shaking her head for dramatic effect. “Might I inquire why you seek such records?” 

 

“The Galra made the mistake of taking someone who was not theirs to take. I wish to find them and retrieve them, and make it clear to the empire that I do not take kindly to people taking what belongs to me.” 

 

Aunchora nodded knowingly. “The Galra can truly be annoying. If only they’d keep to their little playpen…..” she sighed again. “Oh well, the past cannot be changed. I may know someone, but it may take a day or two to hear back from them. I hope that doesn’t inconvenience you?” 

 

“Of course not. I would be most grateful.” Sarah said, smiling warmly. 

 

“Delightful. In the meantime, I must insist that you stay in my guest suite.” 

 

“Oh, that’s not necessary.” Sarah said, maybe too quickly. “You’ve already gone out of your way so much, I wouldn’t want to trespass further on your hospitality.” 

 

“Think nothing of it.” Aunchora insisted, watching Sarah carefully. “It’s just one friend helping out another. That’s what friends do.” 

 

“You are too kind. Unfortunately, I have already set myself up elsewhere. I regret that I must turn down your generous offer, but as it stands….” she said, thinking quickly and feigning sincere regret. 

 

“I understand. I shall have one of my men escort you back. These streets can be most dangerous at night.” Aunchora said, her eyes twinkling. 

 

Sarah really did not like the way the alien woman was looking at her, but smiled graciously. “I appreciate your concern. I believe I will take my leave now.” she said, rising. 

 

“Of course. Shall I send an attendant when I have word from my contact?” 

 

“That would be most helpful, yes, if it’s not too much trouble.” 

 

“No trouble at all.” Aunchora said, her eyes narrowing ever so slightly. If Sarah hadn’t been watching the alien’s face carefully she might have missed it. Her host snapped her fingers twice and a tall alien approached, stopping just behind his boss. “Escort my friend to her residence. Make sure she is not bothered.”

 

“Yes ma’am.” he said, walking to the double doors and holding them open for Sarah. 

 

“Hopefully you’ll hear from me soon, Sarah.” Aunchora said carefully. 

 

Sarah felt her heart rate increase, but kept her cool. “I’m looking forward to it.” she said with a smile, following her escort. _How does she know my name? I never once said it. Maybe Krisox will know._ She thought, very eager to return to her brother. 


	118. Aunchora's Regards

Much to her displeasure, Krisox insisted that he stay far away while she was doing business with Aunchora. It was the smart, safe move, but she still didn’t like it, as it meant being on Vaynov virtually alone. 

 

“She said it’d only be a few days, right?” Krisox asked through her earpiece. “I just know that you’re being watched, if you were seen with me, it’d spell more than just the end of this little mission.” 

 

She grimaced and reluctantly agreed to the arrangement. 

 

For the next two days, she busied herself by exploring the market that surrounded Aunchora’s residence. She found she blended in with the crowd surprisingly well, and reveled in her being almost invisible. No one paid her any mind, too busy with their own tasks and lives to care about a stray human. 

 

By the time the third day was drawing to a close, Sarah started to get very nervous. She hadn’t heard from Aunchora since the first day. She had a feeling something was up and it wasn’t going to be pleasant.

 

“She’ll probably contact you tomorrow.” Krisox said hopefully. “I have a backup ready for you though, just in case you can’t get the intel directly. I remotely installed an app on your phone that will absorb data if you are close enough to a source for a long enough period of time. Just turn that on when you go in and hide your phone and maybe we’ll get lucky?”

 

“How did you remotely install an app?” she asked incredulously. 

 

“I have my ways.”

 

Sure enough, one of Aunchora’s men showed up the next day and escorted her back to her residence. 

 

“I do apologise for the delay.” Aunchora said when she and Sarah settled in the lounge. “You know how things can be.”

 

Sarah smiled politely and nodded. “Of course.”

 

“Unfortunately, there is one small hiccup.” 

 

Sarah felt her blood run cold. “Oh?” 

 

“Yes. Most unfortunate.” Aunchora’s tone was on of regret, but her eyes betrayed her. They were delighted and on fire. “I know who you are now, Sarah. And that is a hiccup indeed.” 

 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Sarah said smoothly, though she was panicking inside her head. _Krisox get me out of here!!_

“Oh, I’m sure you don’t.” Aunchora said, her high laugh causing a shiver to run down Sarah’s spine. “Regardless. I don’t take kindly to being lied to.” 

 

“I haven’t lied about anything.” 

 

Aunchora’s grin grew, exposing her small, sharp teeth. “That’s right. You just mislead. I don’t take kindly to that, either.” 

 

The alien snapped her fingers and Sarah had about two seconds to react before Aunchora’s men grabbed her. Seeing as her cover was pretty much blown, she teleported in a puff of smoke just outside her residence and began running. Much to her surprise, Aunchora already had aliens outside chasing her. 

 

“Krisox, gig’s up!” she said, panting slightly as she ran.

 

“Fuck! I’m coming your way now. Just try to escape, I’ll find you.” he said, panting as well; seemed he was running, too. 

* * *

Sarah stared with wide eyes at the blaster in her face, her mind flooded with panicked thoughts. Her hands were slipping, Shiro was still climbing, and she had no idea where Krisox was. 

 

“Say goodbye to your pretty face.” the rat alien said, cackling. 

 

Out of the corner of her eye she registered that Shiro jumped, but it still took her by surprise when he landed on the alien, who crumpled beneath her husband. 

 

“I gotcha!” Shiro said quickly, reaching over the edge and grabbing her hands just as they fully slipped off the railing. He pulled her back over, holding her close and kissing her temple. She longed to just stay like that, but if they wanted to live, they had to move. “Where’s Krisox?” he asked as they took off running again. 

 

“I think he’s in his underground tunnels, on his way here. I haven’t heard sin-” She broke off mid-sentence, feeling her ear which no longer held the ear piece. “Damnit, must’ve fallen out.” She adjusted her implant, trying to see if she could access the channel that way, but to no avail. 

 

“What must’ve fallen out?”

 

“My earpiece, Krisox was guiding me from afar.”

 

“The more I learn about this small favour the less I like about.” 

 

_I’m in really real trouble._

* * *

“There’s Allura now.” Shiro said a short while later. They had managed to evade Aunchora’s men for now and were hiding on a high rooftop looking for Darling. Shiro had just spotted the ship and they were starting to stand up to wave her over when Krisox tackled both of them.”Krisox what the fuck?!”

 

“Do you want to die? This place is crawling with Aunchora’s henchmen.” her brother said, crawling off them to peek down at the street. “Signal her some other way.” 

 

Shiro looked to Sarah, who nodded and adjusted her ear implant, finding Darling’s channel quickly. “Hey, Allura, we see you. We’re on a rooftop, a high one, in the marketplace.”

 

“What the quiznak are you doing there?” Allura’s voice asked in her ear.

 

“I’ll uh….fill you in later.” 

 

“You better. Coming in now.” 

 

“Okay she’s coming in for landing now.” Sarah said, turning to her brother and husband. 

 

“Aight, I’ll cover you and then slip out in my ship when things die down.” Krisox said, swinging his legs over the edge of the building and sliding down. 

 

“Krisox!” Sarah called, crawling over and watching him disappear into the crowd. 

 

“What’d he mean, cover us?” Shiro asked from beside her. 

 

Before she could speak, an explosion on the other side of the market rocked the area. The crowds surged towards it, just as Allura arrived, landing Darling carefully. “I guess that’s what he meant.” Sarah said, her eyes wide. 

* * *

“So you went on a risky mission, without telling anyone except your brother, on a _chance_ that you might get Galra prison records.” Allura said, her voice heavy with disappointment. They were in the control room, where Sarah was being essentially being debriefed by Allura, Shiro, and her parents. 

 

Sarah fidgeted where she stood, her gaze bouncing around the room. Just as she had thought, she was in trouble. “I didn’t want to….get anyone’s hopes up….” she said softly; she was afraid if she spoke up, her voice would crack and she’d give in to the tears she was fighting off. “I’m sorry….”

 

“That’s not going to suffice.” Allura said, shaking her head. “You’ve been far too reckless lately, and you’ve either disregarded orders or skirted authority entirely one time too many. Actually,” she hesitated, turning to Shiro. “You both have. I’m grounding you both until further notice. No more missions, no more outings, at least for now. Obviously,” she added, as Shiro was about to speak. “if we need Voltron, that will be the exception. I need to know I can trust you two to work with the team and not go behind my back or ignore me altogether.” Allura looked between them for a moment, disappointed and upset, before sighing and leaving the room.

 

“I’m s-sorry.” Sarah whimpered as her parents embraced her. 

 

“It’s okay now. Or it will be, when your brother returns. When is he returning?” her mother asked, gripping her father’s hand tightly. 

 

Sarah shook her head. “He just said ‘when things die down’.” 

 

“If it’s okay, I’m going to be in Darling, trying to get in contact.” her father said, as he and her mother left the room. 

 

She found the silence that followed unusually uncomfortable. It seemed as though Shiro had much to say, but either he was too upset or he couldn’t find the words, because he remained quiet, arms crossed across his chest as he stared at the ground. 

 

“Shiro?” she asked tentatively. 

 

“I really wish you would have told me.” he said, his voice tired and sad. “I just lost you.” His voice cracked and she felt tears roll down her face. She had been so focused on Pidge being upset and sullen she had almost completely forgotten the traumatic ordeal they had went through just over two weeks ago. 

 

“I’m sorry.” she cried, running up to him. He opened his arms and held her close as she cried, stroking her hair. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” Sarah repeated. “I’m so thoughtless, I just-baby, I’m so sorry.” 

 

“It’s okay now.” he murmured. “You’re here in my arms where you belong. Just…please…never again.” 

 

“I promise, I promise.” she said, nodding vigorously. Nervously giggling, she reached up on her tiptoes and they kissed.


	119. Grounded

“Did you manage to get what you were looking for at least?” Shiro asked later that day as they were cuddling in the lounge. 

 

“Yea, actually. Krisox put this app on my phone, it like….hacked stuff just by being close to it. I’m not entirely sure how, but I checked, and sure enough….” Sarah pulled the information up on her phone. “It’s a lot to go through, but they’re prisoner records, so hopefully Pidgey’s family is somewhere in here-”

 

“Somewhere in where?” Pidge asked, entering the room curiously. 

 

“I nabbed Galra prison records from a crime boss! Haven’t been able to look through them yet, there’s a lot to go throu-”

 

“Send em my way!” Pidge demanded urgently, pulling out their laptop. 

 

“Okay, sent.” 

 

“Got em. Is this…” Pidge frowned and looked up at her. “Is this why you went to Vaynov with Krisox?”

 

Sarah nodded, blushing. 

 

“You….you really didn’t have to…” Pidge said in a small voice, avoiding her gaze. 

 

“You were upset, I don’t like seeing my friends upset.” Sarah said with a shrug. 

 

Pidge met her gaze, their eyes barely holding back tears. “Thank you, so much.” 

 

“No problem.” Sarah said, blushing harder. 

 

“You’re so cute.” Shiro sighed, pulling her closer so he could kiss her. 

 

She smiled into the kiss, enjoying this soft, tender moment. When they pulled apart, he kissed her nose, causing her to giggle which then caused him to chuckle. 

 

“Oh, I had an idea. Since we have a lot of time on our hands now, what with being grounded and such.” Sarah said, sitting up. 

 

“Oh?”

 

“Remember how Hag got all bothered when she was asking about the books I took from the temple?”

 

“So you did take them?”

 

Sarah nodded. “I’m thinking it’d be a good use of time to read through them. I have a feeling they’re invaluable, since she was so upset over my taking them.” 

 

“Sounds like a plan. Where’d you leave them?”

 

“In White. She wanted to peruse them in her spare time.”

 

“You wanna go get started?” he asked, pushing himself up onto his elbows. 

 

“Not just yet…” Sarah said, blushing ever more furiously. “I wanna kiss you again first.” 

 

Shiro laughed. “Alright. There’s no way I’d say no to that.” Sarah beamed, resting her hands on his chest as she leaned forward to kiss him softly. As they got more into it, he fell back, wrapping his arms around her middle as she lay on top of him. 

 

“Okay, if you two are gonna do that, I’m gonna go.” Pidge said, making them jump.


	120. Books

Shiro sat at a table in the library, one of the ancient books Sarah had found laid out in front of him with a small notebook open next to him. The age old texts had been in a strange, forgotten language-forgotten by all but one. White had spent two weeks teaching them the language, which he found fascinating. Sarah had found it frustrating, as she had always had trouble picking up new languages. But they both managed to learn enough to understand what the texts said. 

 

Sarah was sprawled on the floor, taking notes as she read one of the books that focused on magical technique. As he was fascinated with history, he was eagerly reading the texts that told of the  ancient civilisation’s culture, its people, and its past. White had said that most of the history had been lost, so the fact that they had found some was miraculous. 

 

“Hey, we’re going to a market nearby, you guys need anything?” Kayla asked, poking her head in. 

 

“I’m good.” Sarah called, Shiro nodding in agreement. 

 

“Allura or Coran going with you?” he asked, jotting something down in his notebook. 

 

“No, she and Oli are spending some time alone today. And Coran said something about something technical that I still don’t know the name of.” Kayla answered. 

 

“So it’s just you and the other Paladins?” he asked, frowning as he looked up at her. 

 

“Is that a problem?” Kayla asked, raising an eyebrow. 

 

“No, I suppose not…”

 

“I think he’s worried cause its four teenagers and just you to watch them.” Sarah said from the floor without looking up. 

 

“I think I can keep track of some teenagers.” Kayla said as she crossed her arms over her chest. “We’ll be back in a few hours. Try not to have too much fun.” she said, wrinkling her nose but smiling as she left. 

 

“She really hates reading, doesn’t she?” Shiro asked, chuckling. 

 

“Yea, she’s weird like that.” Sarah giggled. 

* * *

“Time for a break?” Shiro asked an hour later, as he saw Sarah was doodling absentmindedly, her eyes slightly glazed over.

 

“Oh, yeah, I have been reading the same sentence like five times. A break would be good.” she giggled, standing up and stretching. 

 

The two went to the kitchen, where they found Coran trying out a recipe Kayla had given him. “Having fun?” Sarah asked as she hoisted herself up onto the counter. Shiro joined her when he grabbed their snacks, leaning against the counter she was sitting on. 

 

“Always!” Coran said joyfully, making Sarah smile. 

 

The couple listened as Coran went into more detail about the recipe, highlighting its complexity and how eager he was to have Kayla try it when he finished. 

 

After Sarah and Shiro finished their snacks, they wished Coran luck and left the kitchen and collided with a very distressed Kayla. 

 

“Kayla, what is it?” Sarah asked seriously, taking her sister’s shoulders. 

 

“The Paladins, they were taken!”

 

“Taken? By whom?” Shiro asked, intense and worried. _I should’ve insisted Coran go with them or me or…._

“Greys. Greys took them.” 

 

“Greys?” he asked, confused as he watched his wife’s face drain of colour. “What are Greys?”

 

“They’re what humans on Earth typically think of when you say ‘aliens’.” Sarah answered gravely. “I don’t know why but they’re obsessed with humans. They capture them and experiment on them, illegally. I thought they had been exiled?” 

 

“I don’t think they really cared to be honest. And Stiea K2 fell, and the Galra just don’t care….”

 

“So what do we do? How do we find them?” Shiro asked, his expression determined, trying to hide the guilt he felt. He was their leader, he was responsible for them, he should have said something….he didn’t blame Kayla for losing them, but he wished another adult had gone with them. 

 

“I could try to hone in on their quintessence….or ask White to, I don’t know if I’m strong enough to reach out far.” Sarah murmured as she thought through their options. 

 

“Oh, Kayla you’re back-where are the others?” Allura said, her tone going from light to serious. 

 

“They were kidnapped by aliens that are known for experimenting on humans.” Sarah answered, slightly monotone as she tried to focus. 

 

“I can’t have five minutes to myself….” the Princess grumbled under her breath. “Can you find them, Sarah?”

 

“White can.” Sarah answered with a nod. 

 

“Let’s get to it then.” 


	121. Greys

Sarah was communicating with White while Shiro, Allura, and Krisox drew up a plan. They were lucky Krisox knew about the Greys and how they operated. 

 

“Their ships tend to look like this.” Krisox said, pulling up a hologram on his phone. “I’ve been on one or two so I can probably kind of navigate through it.” 

 

“Good, I’d rather avoid outright fighting, if we can do this stealthily that’d be great.” Shiro said with a nod. 

 

“Uh, I didn’t think you were going.” 

 

“What? Why wouldn’t I? That’s my team.” he said incredulously. 

 

“You expect me to go with just you?” Allura asked skeptically. 

 

“What part of _they kidnap and experiment on humans_ are you guys not getting.” 

 

“So we’ll be extra cautious.”

 

“We?” 

 

“Sarah and I.” Shiro frowned, confused by his brother-in-law’s expression. “What is it?”

 

“I guess it just never came up….Sarah’s been deathly afraid of Greys since before she left Earth. Some kind of pseudoscience show, I don’t know exactly, but it really freaked her out. Didn’t help much that she actually was almost kidnapped by them once.” Krisox looked over to his sister, who was wrapping up her conversation with White. 

 

“She doesn’t have to go.” Shiro said, resting a hand on Krisox’s shoulder. “No one’s going to force her.”

 

“I know.” he sighed. “I just think you should hang back, too.”

 

“I can’t. They’re my responsibility, I have to rescue them.” 

 

“They’re _our_ responsibility.” Allura corrected. “I’m at fault, too.” 

 

“It’s no one’s fault besides the Greys.” Sarah said, joining them and sliding an arm around Shiro’s midsection. “White is honing in on their signature now, she said she can send the coordinates to the control room.” 

 

“Oh, good. Krisox, can you make that hologram bigger? I’d like to get a better look.” Allura asked, heading towards the control room. 

 

“Uh, yeah, I think.” Krisox said, following her. 

 

Sarah sighed and rested her head against his chest. “At least we can be useful and guide them over comms with Krisox’s hologram.” 

 

“What do you mean?” 

 

“We’re sitting this one out, on account of being human.” she said matter-of-factly. 

 

“No…you are more than welcome to sit this one out, I think it’s highly advisable going by what your brother said.” He slid his arms around her middle, hugging her. “But I have to go. It’s my team, my responsibility…” 

 

“No, you can’t, you can’t!” Sarah cried. Pulling back he found she was crying and panicking. “You can’t, they’ll take you, that’s what they do, they’ll take you!” 

 

“Hey, hey.” he said gently, caressing her face. “No one is going to take me away from you. Okay?” 

 

“B-but that’s what they do and they’re really good at it….” she whimpered. 

 

“I’ll be with Allura and Krisox, they have my back.”

 

“I-I should go too, just to make sure-”

 

“No, baby, you don’t have to do that. I’ll be fine. You can guide us through the ship from Krisox’s hologram, just like you said.” He pulled her into a tight embrace, kissing the top of her head. .”I’ll be fine and I’ll come back to you, you’ll see.”

 

“Promise?”

 

“Always.”


	122. Eyes

Ever since Shiro, Allura, and Krisox left on their rescue mission, Sarah could not stop shaking. Her heart was beating as fast as a cat’s as she and Kayla pulled up a live feed from Shiro’s helmet camera. Hovering next to them was Krisox’s hologram of the Grey’s ship, enlarged so they could see inside. It looked like a cliche flying saucer, circular as it was. 

 

The three rescuers had squeezed themselves into Krisox’s vessel, allowing them to approach the Greys completely unnoticed. They didn’t know where the Greys would have the Paladins, but Krisox had an idea and it was her and Kayla’s duty to guide them to it. 

 

“Okay, we made it past the airlock.” Krisox whispered as the three crouched next to the door. “Where to now?”

 

“Okay, you’re in the outer hallway, you’ll want to cross the the inner and go down to the bottom level.” Kayla said, manipulating the hologram so she could see better. “Sarah, I can’t make out the lower level, you’re better at maps, can you?” 

 

Sarah nodded wordlessly and circled the hologram, studying it. “Each level has an outer and inner hallway except the lowest one. Looks like it’s mostly cargo room but Krisox is probably right, there’s a room that’s closed off and isolated.”

 

“Okay, I’ll page you when we get down to the lower level. Radio silence for now.” 

 

“Roger that.” 

 

The sisters sat in a tense silence. Sarah watched with bated breath, still as a statue with the exception of her hands which she held close her chest. Kayla was focused solely on the live camera footage, her eyes hawk-like. Sarah didn’t know how long it took the team to reach the lowest level undetected, but it felt like forever. 

 

“Okay, where to?” Krisox whispered after an eternity. 

 

“It’s on the opposite side of the ship from the elevator.” Sarah said, relieved they hadn’t been caught yet, but well aware they still could be on the way out. A scuffle made her look up anxiously from the hologram. “What’s that?!”

 

“Guard.” Krisox hissed. “Don’t worry, he’s taken care of.” Sarah and Kayla shared a look, not sure if they liked the implications of his words, but didn’t mention it. “I see them!” 

 

Sure enough, the other four Paladins were huddled in a makeshift cell, relieved to see their rescuers. Allura shushed them as Shiro opened the door with his Galra hand, pulling it open quickly. Allura led the way back, warning them they’d likely meet resistance from the other Greys on board. Sarah found herself pacing, her anxiety increasing as the returned to Krisox’s ship. 

 

“Something’s not right.” Krisox murmured as they reached the level with the airlock. “This is too easy.” 

 

“Couldn’t it just be those Guardians your sisters told us about?” Allura suggested, ushering the four young Paladins into Krisox’s ship. Sarah was surprised they fit, as small as it was. 

 

“They told you about them?” he chuckled nervously. “I mean I guess but….”

 

“Don’t jinx our good luck, dude!” Lance said joyously, squeezing in next to Hunk and Keith. 

 

From what she saw from Shiro’s helmet cam, Krisox was not convinced it was just good luck, and Sarah was with him. She knew the Greys were almost desperate to get their hands on humans; she recalled her parents discussing attempts to rescue humans ending in drastic loss of life on both sides. It should not be as easy as it was. 

 

“Krisox, you have all the cloaking shit on, right?” she asked urgently. 

 

“Yes, I checked and triple checked before we left.” he said, sitting in the pilot chair and pulling away. “Hopefully Lance or Allura are right…its just luck or divine intervention.” 

 

Sarah bit her lip. She knew it wasn’t the Guardians. They only intervened when the fabric of reality was at stake. The Greys weren’t even a blimp on their divine radar.

* * *

Sarah was waiting for hem when they returned, running up and hugging Shiro tightly. 

 

“See?” he said, pulling back to caress her face. “I told you I’d come back.” 

 

She simply nodded, tears pooling in her eyes as she felt the pent up anxiety almost overwhelm her. 

 

Coran surprised them all with a splendid feast, a mixture of recipes he had picked up from Kayla, Hunk, and his own background. The Paladins and Allura enjoyed themselves, the former sharing Earth urban legends about the Greys much to the latter’s amusement. Sarah and her family were too preoccupied with their thoughts to join in. 

 

“I’m not paranoid, right?” Krisox asked their parents, who shook their head. 

 

“No, we should definitely remain on high alert. There’s no way they would let four humans go like that.” Stena said, taking Sarah’s hand and squeezing it. “My guess is they tracked you back because they knew there were more humans. But don’t worry, girls, we’ll be keeping watch. They won’t get in.” 

 

Sarah smiled and nodded appreciatively, but she couldn’t find the resurfacing memories of her own close encounter as a child. It had been very soon after they were adopted, the girls were still adjusting but had just moved from the human observation room mockup to rooms of their own in their parents house. It had taken a couple weeks for them to install walls and doors to turn one large room into two, and she remembered her parents were so excited to give the girls their own rooms. 

 

On the third night of sleeping in her own room, she had been woken by the sound of someone tapping on her window. Curious as she was, she tentatively approached it, looking out at the dark street below and seeing nothing. It was then that she felt a presence behind her, sending a chill down her spine. When she turned, a Grey was standing in the middle of her room, their large, black eyes glinting curiously in the moonlight. She had been frozen in fear as she stared up at a creature from her nightmares. Only when it grabbed her did she react, screaming her head off. Her parents had saved her, chasing the Grey out. The very next day they started putting pressure on the government to enact harsher punishments on kidnapping and illegal experimentation. The government did one better; they outright exiled the entire species. 

 

“Sarah?” Shiro asked gently, rubbing his thumb over the back of her hand, pulling her from her thoughts. “You okay?” 

 

“Yea…yea, I’ll be fine, the Greys just…really freak me out.” she said steadily, trying to smile confidently. She wasn’t sure if it convinced him, as he still watched her carefully. 

 

He held her close as they rested in bed, slowly drifting off to sleep. “Hey, if they did track us, don’t worry. I won’t let them touch you.” he murmured, rubbing her back gently. “They aren’t going to take anyone from this castle.” She nodded drowsily, convincing herself to relax in her husband’s strong, reassuring arms. 

* * *

It wasn’t unusual for Sarah to wake up in the middle of night at random. Generally she’d go to the bathroom and perhaps read a book. She thought it’d be a good to check on her parents in the control room, see if they needed anything. She shuffled along sleepily, stretching her arms behind her and yawning as she entered the large room. 

 

“Mom? Dad?” she asked, confused and groggy. The holoscreens were still up, showing a single alarm triggered. Frowning she approached it, gasping when she found her parents unconscious bodies. “Mom! Dad!” she cried, running over and kneeling next to them, trying to shake them awake. 

 

Suddenly she felt a presence behind her that sent a chill down her spine. She stood up slowly before turning and facing one of her worst fears. The Grey observed her, their large, black eyes glinting curiously in the dim light of the control room. 

 


	123. Everywhere

Sarah felt frozen in place, her eyes never leaving the Grey’s as she watched them almost unblinkingly. The Grey tilted their head curiously, almost as if they recognised her, before it opened its mouth and spoke in a strange language of clicks and chirps. She jumped and whipped around when she heard a response from behind her. Two more Greys were at the frontmost console, disabling the alarm systems. Thinking quickly, she reached out to White, waking her Lion to alert her to the intruders. White understood and a second later her roar reverberated throughout the castle. Luckily for Sarah, this startled the Greys, and she took the opportunity to run out of the room, bolting down the hall. 

 

Rounding a corner, she came skidding to a halt, slipping and falling backward as four armed greys turned to her. They spoke to each other before running towards her; she only just barely got back onto her feet, stumbling as she ran down the opposite branch of the hall. 

 

“What the-Sarah? What are you-” Hunk began when she almost ran into him. His eyes went wide when he saw why she was running and he quickly caught up, keeping pace easily. “Krisox was right, wasn’t he, our escape was too easy?” 

 

“Yep!” she said, panting slightly. 

 

“What do we do?” 

 

“I don’t really know!” 

 

“Here, this way, it’s a short cut to Yellow. We can maybe at least hide from them?” 

 

“Better than nothing!” she said with a nod, following him as he took a sharp turn into a narrow hall. 

 

“Is that them?” Hunk asked when the Greys spoke to each other some more. 

 

“Yea, I think that’s their language.” 

 

“Weird-hey, there’s only two of them now.” 

 

Looking over her shoulder, she found Hunk was right; only two Greys were chasing them now. Seconds later, they heard Pidge scream from somewhere behind them. 

 

“Shit, Pidgey!” 

 

“Sarah??” a staticky voice said through her ear implant. She adjusted it, honing in on the frequency.

 

“Krisox, can you hear me?”

 

“Yea, what happened, how’d they get on board?” her brother asked.

 

“I don’t know, I went to check on mom and dad and they were unconscious and then the Greys kind of just appeared and now two of em are chasing Hunk and me and I think one got Pidgey!”

 

“Shit. Lucky White woke us up.”

 

“Lucky I asked her to.” 

 

“Good thinking. You guys try to get away from your Greys, I’ll go get Pidge. Hopefully run into Shiro or the others. We really need to group up.”

 

“Hunk suggested we hide out in his Lion.” 

 

“Good thinking, I doubt she’d let them even try to get in. Stay safe, I’ll page you in a bit.” 

 

“Okay. Krisox is gonna try to save Pidge.” she told Hunk who sighed in relief. 

 

“Hey…they’re only here for humans, what will they do to the…non-humans?” Hunk asked after a moment. 

 

“Uhm…shit, I don’t know. Krisox, you there?” she asked, picking up only silence. “Krisox?” She and Hunk shared a worried look. 

 

“Let’s just focus on getting to Yellow, we can try to contact the others from there.” 

 

Just as she felt like she might collapse from exhaustion, Sarah and Hunk entered Yellow’s hanger. The Lion lowered her head, opening its jaw to let them inside before quickly closing and raising her head back high up in the air. The two Greys that had been hot on their tail came to a dead stop, staring up in awe at the Yellow Lion. 

 

“Well it looks like they don’t know who they’re dealing with.” Sarah said with a nervous laugh. Hunk nodded before sitting in his pilot chair and opening up the communication lines. 

 

“Hey, anybody read me?” 

 

“Hunk, buddy!” Lance’s voice said, relieved. “Ya know I could’ve sworn we just left this party not too long ago.” 

 

“Yea, well, Krisox said something was off, didn’t he?” Sarah said with a slight note of snarkiness. 

 

“Good to hear, you’re okay, too, mom.” Lance teased. “Anyone else with you?”

 

“No, you?” 

 

“Keith. We ran across Allura, but she insisted on finding everybody to make sure they’re okay. Was that White that woke us up?” 

 

“Yup. Lucky they didn’t think to knock me out the instant they say me.”

 

“You ran into em?!” 

 

“Yea, and we currently have two prowling around outside Yellow.” Hunk jumped in. “Did you see anyone else?” 

 

“Nope.” 

 

“We heard someone scream though.” Keith interjected anxiously. 

 

“Pretty sure that was Pidgey. Last I heard, Krisox was going to their aid but…” She shared another concerned look with Hunk. 

 

“We should go help them!” Keith said urgently. 

 

“We can’t just run out there, they’ll get us.” Sarah said patiently. “We need some kind of plan. Are there any near you?” 

 

“No, we didn’t see any on the way to Blue, we only heard some.” 

 

“You’re more likely to be able to move about unnoticed, for now. Think you guys can squeeze into the air shafts?” 

 

“Probably.” Lance said. “I’m flexible enough.” 

 

Sarah rolled her eyes, making Hunk snicker. “Okay, so get into the air vents and make your way to Pidgey. Stick together, don’t separate, whatever you do, do not separate.” She paused, thinking multiple things through at once. “You guys have an ear piece you can use so we can stay in contact?” 

 

“I have my helmet.” Lance suggested. 

 

“That’ll work. Check back in when you’re in one of the shafts, okay?” 

 

“Will do.” Keith said before the line went silent. 

 

“Are they still out there?” Hunk asked nervously. Sarah looked out through Yellow’s view port, nodding.

 

“Yea. They’re just walking around Yellow.”

 

“What do we do? Just wait for them to leave?”

 

“I don’t know if they will….by their own will.”

 

Hunk frowned, and opened his mouth to ask what she meant when a voice interrupted him over the comm line. 

 

“Hey, anyone read me?” 

 

“Shiro!” Sarah gasped, relieved.

 

“Oh god, Sarah, you’re okay, I was so worried….”

 

“I’m sorry, I just woke up at random and thought I’d check on my parents…and then the Greys showed up….”

 

“Are you okay? Are they? Where are you?” 

 

“I’m fine, my parents seemed fine but unconscious, I’m in Yellow with Hunk. Two Greys were chasing us, they’re kind of just….circling Yellow now.” 

 

“Have you heard from anyone else?” 

 

Krisox went to save Pidgey, but I lost contact with him, Lance and Keith were in Blue but they’re crawling through the air vents to find Pidgey now….they said they ran across Allura but she ran off to find everyone else. What about you?” 

 

“Coran has the kids, they’re hiding in Darling right now. I showed him how to activate her invisibility, they should be safe.” 

 

“Yea. I don’t know what the Greys do with non-humans.” she said with a shudder. 

 

“I’d rather not go down that road myself.” Shiro said in agreement. 

 

“Where are you?” 

 

“I’m in Black. I wanted to see if I could get in contact with anyone before going back out.”

 

“No, don’t go back out! Not alone!!” she cried. “They could take you and no one would know until it’s too late.” 

 

“Sarah, I told you,” Shiro said soothingly. “No one is going to take me away from you. I’m going to be extra cautious, don’t worry. You two stay there, I’ll come for you and then with any luck we’ll find Allura and the others.” 

 

“Be careful, babe.” Sarah said, her voice quivering slightly. 

 

“Always, princess. I’ll be there in a few.” 

 

“Hey,” Hunk began when Shiro left the channel. “he’ll be okay. He’s a tough guy, he can handle the Greys.” 

 

“No, I know, I know….” she murmured, looking out at the two Greys circling Yellow again. “They’re just….like one of my childhood nightmares come to life, is all…” 

 

Hunk nodded understandingly. “On the upside, they aren’t getting in here.” Sarah smiled appreciatively. That was a comforting thought. 


	124. Regroup

Sarah tried to meditate to pass the time until Shiro showed up, but found her mind running in anxious circles and so took to pacing instead. Hunk took to talking about recipes he wanted to try to keep his mind off the worrying circumstances. Sarah nodded at appropriate intervals but didn’t really pay attention. 

 

After what felt like hours but likely wasn’t more than twenty minutes, the two heard a scuffle outside Yellow. Looking out her viewports, they saw Shiro taking out the two Greys that had been circling the Lion ever since they hid inside her. 

 

When Yellow lowered her head to let them out Sarah flung herself at Shiro, who caught her and held her tightly. “See?” he murmured, kissing her forehead. “Let’s tie these two up so there’s two less to worry about.” Sarah nodded and the three of them restrained the Greys before they moved on to find the others. 

 

They first carefully made their way to Pidge’s room. Apart from two Greys who seemed to be searching the ship, their path was clear. Upon reaching Pidge’s room, they found two bound Greys and no Pidge. 

 

“Well, at least Pidgey is okay…” Sarah said, still rather tense. 

 

“We can’t know that for certain.” Shiro said grimly. 

 

“Let me try to contact Krisox again.” Sarah said, adjusting her implant. “Krisox, can you read me? Are you there?”

 

“Hey, yea, I’m with Pidge….” he said, his voice coming in and out and muffled by static. She tried adjusting her implant to make it clearer. “We’re in my ship. Have you….anyone else….” 

 

“Krisox? I’m losing you.” Sarah said, grumbling when she completely lost his signal. “Well, Pidgey and Krisox are in his ship, so that’s good to hear.” 

 

“But….?” Shiro prompted as they began cautiously moving down the hall. 

 

“My implant seems to be on the fritz, that’s all.”

 

“We’ll be okay without it.” he said assuredly. He opened his mouth to say something else but was interrupted by two young Paladins falling from an air vent, landing in a crumpled mess on the floor. “You guys okay?” he asked, offering Keith his hand while Hunk helped Lance up. 

 

“Yea. We got a little lost in the shafts. I don’t see how you do it, Sarah.” Lance said as he dusted himself off. “Did you find Pidge?”

 

“I’m really good with maps.” Sarah said with a chuckle. “We heard from her and my brother, they’re in his ship.” 

 

“Oh, that’s good. So what do we do now?” 

 

“Find the others and then plan an attack.” Keith said confidently. 

 

“We just need to find Allura and Kayla. Coran is with the kids in Darling.” Hunk informed them. 

 

“What about your parents?” Lance asked Sarah. 

 

“They were unconscious in the control room last I saw them….” she said uneasily. 

 

“Let’s find Allura and Kayla and then tackle the control room. There are likely to be more Greys in there.” Shiro said, resting a reassuring hand on her shoulder. 

 

“They can’t fly the ship though. They don’t have Altean magic.” 

 

“Don’t think they know that.” Shiro chuckled. “They really should have done their research.” He smiled as Sarah giggled, before leading the group down the hall. 

 

For a long time they moved in complete silence, ears straining to hear any little sound. Sarah felt more at ease, as there were more of them together now. It would make it harder for the Greys to take them. They slowed when they heard the strange language the Greys spoke, clinging to wall while Shiro peeked around the corner. 

 

“There’s three of them and they’re armed.” he whispered. “Wait…they’re splitting up now, one’s coming this way. Hide, hide!” He ushered them back up  the hall, all five trying to run as quietly as they could before diving into dark rooms. Sarah and Shiro ducked in the darkness, watching the open doorway anxiously. 

 

Luckily the Grey passed them, not bothering to check the dark rooms that lined the hallway. The couple breathed a sigh of relief and stood, Shiro carefully checking the hall before leaving the room and signaling the others. 

 

A small commotion at the end of the hall, where the Grey had gone, caught her attention. The others didn’t seem to notice, as she was the only one paying attention. She took a few cautious steps towards it, her curiosity getting the best of her. It was only when Kayla cried out that the others took notice, but she was already running to her sister’s aid. 

 

“Kayla!” she screamed, rounding the corner, ignoring the others calling her name. 

 

She found Kayla on her hands and knees, clutching her middle, as strange creatures made of light surrounded the Grey, growling furiously. They pursued the creature down the hall, their growls mixing with the Grey’s language to create a strange cacophony. Sarah ran over to her sister, kneeling down next to her. “Kayla, you okay, what happened?” she asked worriedly. 

 

Next moment she cried out in pain as a Grey grabbed her by her hair from behind, forcefully pulling her up. She heard Shiro call out for her, but she couldn’t wait for him, not when her sister was hurt. She brought her heel down hard on the Grey’s foot, causing the alien to cry out, which was cut off when she elbowed it in the midsection. It released her, and she took a moment to swing around and kick the Grey away from her. She waited for it to crumple before kneeling again, her hand resting on Kayla’s back. 

 

“Did you just-was that a-” Kayla gasped, wincing. 

 

“Kayla, what’s wrong?” 

 

“It…the other one scratched me…” she murmured, removing the arm clutching her midsection to reveal it covered in blood. She swayed and sighed, fainting against her sister. 

 

“Shiro, Shiro, help me, I can’t carry her!” Sarah babbled, crying, as her husband came around and lifted her little sister into his arms. 

 

“Everyone stay close, c’mon.” he said urgently before taking off down the hall, the others close behind him. 

 

They only encountered one grey on their way to the med pods. Shiro had rounded a corner and stopped suddenly, not sure what to do. Sarah was hot on his heels, but she didn’t stop. She spun and kicked it, hard, causing it to drop and not stir. She urged Shiro to keep moving, paying no mind to the alien creature of her nightmares that she just beat down. 

 

They reached the pods ahead of the others, Sarah hovering as Shiro eased her sister in before activating it and adjusting the settings. 

 

“She’ll be okay.” he said, panting slightly. He pulled Sarah to him, hugging her. “Sarah, you’re shaking.” he murmured, concerned as he pulled back to observe her. “Are you okay?”

 

“It’s kind of just sinking in I fought off some of my worst fears…” she said, laughing nervously. Shiro nodded and pulled her back, holding her tight against him with one hand and stroking her head with the other.

 

“Everyone!” Allura’s voice rang throughout the castle, making the group of five jump. “Come to the control room.” 

* * *

The Paladins, Sarah, and Krisox stared in awe at Allura, who was standing triumphantly in the middle of the control room, eight Greys bound together near her. Sarah’s parents had come to and ran to embrace their children while Allura explained. 

 

“I went looking for everyone else and passed the control room and I saw all these Greys trying to figure out the controls. I remembered Sarah’s parents had been in here keeping an eye on things, and I assumed something happened, so…” she shrugged and gestured to the bound Greys. 

 

“Holy shit dude.” Krisox commented in awe. 

 

“Where’s Kayla?” Stena asked Sarah, worried. 

 

“One of the Greys scratched her bad, we got her in a med pod.” 

 

“And then left her there alone?!” her father asked, alarmed. 

 

“Um…not exactly…”

* * *

“I thought it was a myth.” her mother murmured, staring at the strange light creatures guarding Kayla. “I never dreamed it was real. And she said she….absorbed it somehow?” Sarah nodded. “Can she control it?”

 

“Don’t think so. White thinks that what she constructs now are like….her subconscious or something. She senses she’s in danger and so reacts, but she can’t actually control them.” 

 

“Most curious…” her father said, kneeling next to one. 

 

“N’eion, careful…” her mother warned, as one of the light creatures tensed. It seemed to understand not to harm him though, as it relaxed a few seconds later. 

 

“So what do we do with the Greys?” Lance asked after a short silence. 


	125. Blackout

Luckily for the team, some higher-ups in UniPeace used to operate as politicians and law enforcement on Stiea K2, and when Stena contacted the peacekeeping organisation, they did not hesitate to run to their aid. Sarah’s parents supposed that, when Stiea K2 fell, the Greys saw no reason to remain in exile, since no one was enforcing it. The UniPeace members assured the family and team that they would ensure the Greys would not be able to escape exile on their own regardless of whether or not someone was there to enforce it. 

 

After they left, Allura wondered why they were so harsh on the Greys. 

 

“I mean, sure, they tried to kidnap some of us, but I don’t think they’re that much different from most of the criminals on Vaynov.” she said, confused by the severity of the punishment. 

 

“Well they used to be part of the xenoscience community.” N’eion explained. “But we have a strict code of ethics, we have to, otherwise some of us might abuse or manipulate whatever species we study. They broke it. It cut the community deep, it was a most loathsome betrayal.”

 

“The law enforcement on Stiea K2 is widely known for strongly upholding moral and ethical values and laws, and dealing severe punishments to those who break them.” Stena continued. 

 

“Interesting…” Allura murmured thoughtfully. 

* * *

Over the following two weeks the team settled into a routine of sorts. The Paladins spent time training together, Sarah and her family would study magic from the ancient texts, and Allura and Coran were constantly in meetings with various planets and UniPeace, trying to organise a universe-wide alliance. 

 

Sarah started to notice Shiro feeling more and more unsure of himself, but whenever she tried to ask, they were interrupted or he smoothly dodged her question. She was determined to get to the bottom of it and plotted the best time to ask. 

 

One night after they made love and were snuggling, Sarah raised herself on her elbow, leaning over him and caressing his cheek with her other hand. “Shiro….what’s been bothering you?” she asked gently. 

 

His eyes grew sad and he sighed. “I just….” he began hesitantly. “I don’t feel like…I’m worthy of being a Paladin. I keep letting the team down….Allura was right, I can’t be trusted-”

 

“Baby, no…” Sarah cut him off softly. “You are worthy. You are. You haven’t let the team down ever.” 

 

“I should have….if I had gone with them…”

 

“We were obeying Allura’s decree. You’ve always been a fantastic leader…” She kissed his forehead, lingering for a second. “You’re calm and collected in the heat of battle, you have a good understanding of everyone’s strengths and weaknesses and know how to use them…the team would follow you anywhere and you never let them down.” She found his eyes were still unsure. “What can I do?” Sarah murmured. “What can I do to convince you?” 

 

For a moment, Shiro’s eyes scanned her face, seeming to absorb every detail as he thought, his thumb caressing her cheek. Then he surprised her by rolling over, so that he was above her. “Tell me how good I’m doing….” he whispered in her ear, before kissing his way down her body.

* * *

A few days later, they landed the castle on a planet whose people recently fought off a Galra invasion force, as Allura wanted to meet with them, when an unpleasant surprise showed up. 

 

“What is this creature?!” Sarah’s mom asked in the control room, alarmed, as the Paladins formed Voltron. 

 

“It’s a robeast.” Sarah answered, tense as she leaned against Shiro’s console. She was gripping the back of the seat so tightly her knuckles were white. Kayla came up behind her, wrapping her arms around Sarah’s shoulder as they watched with wide eyes as Voltron fought the Robeast. She appreciated her sister’s presence. She found her mind didn’t spin as many anxious tales as when she stood alone. 

 

When the Robeast was defeated and the Lions were returning, she found she was still rather tense. She and the others ran to the hangers, Sarah, Allura, and Kayla going in to check on Shiro; he hadn’t responded over the comm channel since the Lions broke apart. 

 

When Sarah stepped inside the Black Lion, she felt a heavy dread drop inside her. She heard Kayla and Allura talking, but she couldn’t hear what they were saying. It seemed like all sound was muffled and she was moving in slow-motion as she approached her husband’s empty pilot chair. She fell to her knees when she reached it, and found her mind was having trouble processing the situation. 

 

Allura’s presence by her side brought her back. The Altean wrapped her arm around her friend’s shoulder, taking her hand, and Sarah noticed she was shaking and crying. “A-allura…? W-where is he?” 

 

“I….I don’t know.” Allura said, frightened and worried. “I don’t know.”


	126. Begin the Search

“What could have happened?” Kayla asked, sounding almost as lost as sarah felt. 

 

“I don’t know, this has never happened before…” Allura said as tears started streaming down her face. Sarah was sobbing into her friend’s shoulder now, Allura gently rubbing her back as she held the small human girl. 

 

“Hey, what’s going on?” Keith’s voice called over the comms. “Where’s Shiro?” 

 

Sarah looked up as he entered the Black Lion, taking in the scene; she knew when he felt the same heavy dread feeling she felt by the slow change in his face. 

 

“W-where-? How?” 

 

“W-we don’t know.” Kayla said gently. 

 

Keith shook his head, tears spilling out of his eyes. “I don’t understand…” he murmured, dropping to his knees. “He’s _gone_ ….”

 

Sarah cried out, her pain echoing throughout the castle. 

* * *

Hours later, Sarah woke up alone in her and Shiro’s bed. For half a second, she had blissfully forgotten what happened, but it did not last. Reality came crashing down around her quickly, and she pushed herself up. She felt almost the ghost of Shiro’s touch and began crying again. 

 

After a while, her sobs drifted into muffled sniffling. Sarah held her knees to her chest, her head resting on them, staring off into nowhere as her mind felt empty and lost and broken like her heart. It startled her when White reached out to her.

* * *

Sarah burst of her room, running down the hall to the Black Lion’s hanger. She passed Allura, who tried to ask where she was going; Sarah didn’t have time for that. Luckily, Allura wordlessly followed her. 

 

When she reached the hanger, she stood in front of the Black Lion, fierce and determined despite her panting. 

 

“Sarah, what is it?” Allura asked as she caught up. 

 

“White says,” Sarah said as she tried to stablise her breathing. “The Lions took him somewhere. But they won’t tell her where or how or why. They only told her he’s safe and okay.” 

 

“What? The Lions-how? That….I don’t understand…” 

 

“Get in line.” Sarah said rather bluntly. Sarah stared up at the Black Lion, her eyes narrowed. “Where did you take him?” she called, her voice echoing.

 

“I don’t she’s going to answer you…” Allura said after several minutes of silence. 

 

“Oh, she’s going to. She’s going to at least give me someplace to start.”

 

“How do you know that?” 

 

“Because I am not leaving this hanger until she does.”

 

“But what about food and….” Allura asked, confused. 

 

Sarah looked over her shoulder, an almost evil mastermind-like smirk on her face. 

 

“Sarah, no, you can’t go on a hunger strike, you-” 

 

“If the Black Lion cares about Shiro, she’ll give me what I want.” Sarah said, sitting down and crossing her legs. “Do you hear me?” she said loudly. “Give me something to go on. I’m not leaving until you do.” 

 

Sarah didn’t know if the Black Lion knew not to test her resolve or what, but she relented only a few hours later. White conveyed the information the information to Sarah, who announced it to Allura. 

 

“Who’s I’ntayn?” Allura asked, following Sarah as she got to her feet and went to Darling. 

 

“No idea. But I’m gonna run the name through a few of the search engines Pidgey made for me.” 

 

“And then?” 

 

“I go find my husband.” 

 

“I want to come with you.” 

 

Sarah stopped, turning around, her face confused. “But you-”

 

“I know I have responsibilities here, but I just…I’ve been so hard on the both of you lately-”

 

“With good reason.”

 

“-and I just….” Allura trailed off. “I’m coming with you.” 

 

“Well…okay.” Sarah said, smiling appreciatively and continuing to her ship. “The others aren’t going to be too keen on this.”

 

“We could just leave a note and sneak away…”

 

“No…no, I need them to make it look like it’s business as usual. Zarkon need not get a hint that something’s up.”

 

“Have you thought all this through in the past three minutes?” Allura asked, amused. 

 

“I work fast…” Sarah mumbled. 

* * *

“I don’t like this, Sarah.” Stena said a day later, after Sarah and Allura had told everyone what they were going to do and what the team should do in their absence. “Please, reconsider. We could help you.”

 

“No, the fewer people the better.” Sarah said, shaking her head. “I don’t want word getting out. I need you guys to keep up appearances, both for the enemy and the rebellion. Team Voltron has inspired billions to rebel, I don’t want them to get disheartened.” 

 

Her mother still looked unsure but nodded. Sarah hugged both her parents and her siblings before Keith approached her. 

 

“I still think I should go with you.” he said, slightly sullenly. 

 

“I’m sorry, Keith, I really am. But I need all hands on deck _here_.” She sighed, as he was still unconvinced and staring off angrily. “Hey,” she murmured, placing a hand on his shoulder. “I’m going to find him. There’s no force in the universe that can stop me. Don’t you trust me?”

 

“I do…I just feel useless….”

 

“You aren’t. It might feel like you aren’t doing anything, but you are protecting the secrecy of this mission. That’s hugely important.” 

 

After a moment, he sighed, and when he rose his gaze to meet hers she found his eyes vulnerable and glossy. “Keep in contact at least?” 

 

“Of course.” Sarah said with a smile and a nod. 

 

“Ready?” Allura asked from the open hatch. 

 

“Yep.” she said brightly. Having a plan, something that required action, took her mind off the fact that she had no idea where Shiro had been taken and they had barely anything to go on for their search. But she was determined and optimistic. _The Guardians themselves couldn’t keep him from me._ she thought fiercely as she piloted Darling out into open space. _We’re going to find you, Shiro._


	127. First Breadcrumb

[Vfaren Ruins](http://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=http%3A%2F%2Fpuellaignava.deviantart.com%2Fart%2FSubterranean-City-Ruins-663270961%3Fga_submit_new%3D10%253A1486967176&t=YWQ0MjRjMTNhNDA0NzNlNDRmMWViMGM3NjQ3NDY1NjRlOGY5NTA4MyxjM1pkZTVzNw%3D%3D&b=t%3AUp-8vRCgTYJDx5VxPdiFaA&p=http%3A%2F%2Fterezisexbuttpyrope.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F157178268650%2Ffirst-breadcrumb&m=0)

“Okay, where do we start?” Allura asked after Darling’s computer pulled up results from several search engines. Sarah was having them cross-referenced to narrow down the results, and she seemed to have found a promising lead. 

 

“Spelunking!” Sarah said brightly. “The most promising lead with ‘I’ntayn’ has to do with this long lost civilisation. The current populace on the planet are studying a massive city they found. It’s not open to like…tourists but I’m sure we can worm our way inside.”

 

“And what are we looking for?” 

 

“A manuscript carved in stone. A work of this I’ntayn, apparently. There’s not much but what they have been able to find suggests that I’ntayn was witch of some sort.” 

 

“I wonder what this person has to do with the Lions?” Allura mused. 

 

“I guess we’ll find out?” 

* * *

“Okay, I got us a guide.” Sarah said after they arrived in the city closest to the ruins. 

 

“You got us in?! That was easy.” Allura said, surprised and slightly skeptical. 

 

“It helps when your older brother runs a criminal empire.” Sarah smirked, flashing some fake I.D.s. “If anyone asks we’re traveling scientists who study ancient ruins across the universe.” 

 

“Whatever you say.” Allura laughed. 

 

“Allura, this is our guide, [Eslah](http://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=http%3A%2F%2Falexkonstad.deviantart.com%2Fart%2FAsteroid-Miner-272681741&t=ODA2MGNmMTRiNGY1ZDQ3ZGFkYzRmNzkyMWRlZTRhZTI0YjhiYmFjNixjM1pkZTVzNw%3D%3D&b=t%3AUp-8vRCgTYJDx5VxPdiFaA&p=http%3A%2F%2Fterezisexbuttpyrope.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F157178268650%2Ffirst-breadcrumb&m=0).” Sarah said, gesturing to each of them in turn. “He’s gotten us a room at a hotel right on the edge of the city. We  set out for the ruins tomorrow morning.”

 

“That soon?” Allura asked, looking between Sarah and Eslah, confused. “Don’t we need to prepare in some way….?” 

 

“I am eager to descend, it has been many a rotation since I have gotten to venture into the ruins.” Eslah jabbered excitedly. “All the necessary equipment and arrangements have been made.”

 

“Sarah, he works as fast as you!” Allura teased, smiling when her friend playfully elbowed her. 

 

“If you come with me, I will escort you to the hotel. Oh, I am practically vibrating with excitement! It is such a treat, you see…” 

 

Eslah almost didn’t stop to take a breath the entire trip. He gave them a detailed history of the discovery of the ruins, how scientists and authorities had to close it off to the public, at least for the time being; it was too unsafe for civilians, and they had a tendency to destroy priceless artifacts. 

 

The hotel they stayed in was modest and clean. It wasn’t flashy and there wasn’t much colour but it was comfortable enough and both girls slept soundly. 

 

“Now I should warn you about some of the more curious properties of the ruins.” Eslah told them as they drove out to the only known entrance. “Thin waterfalls cascade down from the cave ceiling, and in the water you can see glimpses into the ruin’s past. It is a most curious phenomenon. We know not where the water comes from, but it is constant.”

 

“Most curious.” Sarah murmured. “Have you gleaned anything from the glimpses?” 

 

Their guide shook his head sadly. “They seem random. Just day to day life of the people. The most we’ve gotten is how the ruins looked ten thousand years ago when it was a bustling city.” 

 

Sarah raised her eyebrows when he stated the ruins were ten thousand years old, sharing a look with Allura. “Tell me, do you know the name of the civilisation, or the city?” 

 

“I believe it was the Vfaren empire, though it has been difficult to find and translate texts. For some reason, many were destroyed.” 

 

“I wonder why….” Allura said softly, staring out the window of their vehicle. 

 

“Maybe there were raiders? Or another civilisation caused their decline and destroyed what they could find to erase the Vfaren culture?” Sarah gasped, her eyes lighting up. “Or maybe they had knowledge that they didn’t want to fall into the wrong hands, and as they wouldn’t be able to protect it any longer they destroyed it instead.”

 

Eslah gave her a funny look as Allura chuckled. “You have a most curious imagination!” he commented. “Maybe you two scientists are just the ones to unlock that mystery!” 

 

“Maybe! That’d be exciting!” Sarah giggled, smiling. 

* * *

Just outside the entrance, Eslah was helping the girls into their rented spelunking gear, all the while entertaining them with more stories about the ruins. Sarah found the alien’s enthusiasm amusing and delightful; she was almost hanging on every word. Allura seemed lost in her thoughts, until their guide announced they’d be descending. 

 

“Lead the way.” she said with a smile. The cave entrance was narrow and sloped down rather dramatically. 

 

“Watch your step her ladies.” Eslah warned, aiding the girls on the uneven terrain. “Just ahead is the drop hole. It’s a good thousand foot drop, so I wouldn’t suggest slipping in but we do have jetpacks so I don’t think any of us are going to die today.” he said with a chuckle, unaware of the girls’ alarm. They didn’t have time to further question him, as the rounded a corner and sure enough, there was a large hole ten feet in diameter, and below was nothing but inky blackness. Sarah grabbed Allura’s hand, shaking slightly. The Princess squeezed her friend’s hand reassuringly. “Before we descend I’ll provide us some light.” Eslah said, setting his backpack down and digging through it. A second later he pulled out a large white orb. “You two wait here until I give the signal.” he said casually, jumping into the darkness before the girls could get a word out. Seconds later they gasped as a glowing ball rose up, illuminating everything. 

 

The city was enormous and intimidating. The buildings reminded Sarah of her home, but many of them had crumbled and decayed due to age. She was surprised they were still standing at all. Just as Eslah had said, curtains of smooth water rained down from the ceiling, playing scenes from the city’s past on its surface. 

 

“Okay, come on down!” Eslah called through their comm units. 

 

Hesitantly, and holding each other’s hand, Allura and Sarah jumped into the hole, firing up their jetpacks for a slow descent. Eslah had lit a flare to guide them, as he threw more glowing orbs into the air. 

 

“There we go, easy does it.” Eslah said as the girls landed. “I know the trip can be a bit alarming. Now, the lights have four hours charge. Was there anything in particular you wanted to look for?” 

 

“Yes, we had read some obscure articles on someone named ‘I’ntayn’? We were hoping to find a manuscript by them.” 

 

“I’ntayn, hmmm….sounds familiar. Let’s try the archives. Most of the texts we’ve been able to find intact were found there.”

* * *

It wasn’t a long walk from where they landed to the decrepit archives. Inside, Eslah gave the girls flashlights and the three began to comb through the building. Eslah had roughly drawn out what the name would look like in the written language of the Vfaren people so that they knew what they were looking for. 

 

After an hour of searching, they regrouped mostly empty-handed. 

 

“This looks like a directory almost, the way things are aligned.” Sarah said, holding a slab of stone with carvings in it. “And right there is I’ntayn. I’d bet you anything this is the address for where they lived in this column here.”

 

“Worth a look!” Eslah said brightly. He pulled out a holophone, using a rough three dimensional map of the city to guide them. It took them a while to reach the address, as they had to navigate what looked like an ancient battlefield. 

 

“It looks like my second guess was right.” Sarah murmured, looking around at the ruined street. “Looks like whatever they were fighting brought the battle into their home.” 

 

“We cannot tell if it was outside assailants or in-fighting that caused this damage.” their guide said somberly. “Some of the texts we have found suggest the latter, while much of the war technology suggests the former.” 

 

“Okay, should be right around here.” Eslah said thirty minutes later. 

 

He and Allura walked up and down the short street, peering into various buildings, looking for a clue as to which was I’ntayn’s. 

 

Sarah stood frozen in the middle of the street, staring up at the middle building that seemed to loom over her. Something inside was calling her, she could feel it, but she was afraid to go alone. “I think it’s this one.” she said, working hard to keep her voice steady. Her companions joined her, staring at the building curiously. 

 

“How can you tell?” Eslah asked, his eyes scanning it for any hint. 

 

“Just….a feeling….” Sarah said softly, sharing a meaningful look with Allura, who nodded and led the way inside. Sarah followed the strange feeling, which guided her through the maze of the ruined building that looked like it had once been a house. When she reached the back she found a small courtyard with a shallow pond overrun with flora. She stared around curiously, carefully maneuvering around the pond as the stone flooring had cracked and become uneven. 

 

Movement in the pond caught her eye and as she hovered over it, what looked like a movie rippled across its surface. She saw the courtyard she was in, but with much less decay and everything was on fire. An alien ran by, stopping at the pool and kneeling down. In her hand she held journal and stone case that she slipped the former into before sealing somehow with magic. The alien reached into the pond and began digging away at its bottom, until she had made a sizable hole. After laying the stone case in the hole, she quickly covered it in mud and dirt. Standing up, she waved her hand over the pond, watching for a moment as glowing particles softly fell over the water before fleeing the scene. 

 

As the vision faded, the pond’s surface became transparent again. Sarah carefully knelt next to the water’s edge, reaching in the pond to dig away at its bottom. After a moment, her hands felt something hard. She dug a bit more until she could grab an edge of it and pulled. She grunted, finding it stuck in the mud. “Allura?” she called over her shoulder, digging with both hands now, grimacing as she did. Sarah hated the feeling of mud building up under her nails, but was successfully ignoring the ickiness for the time being.

 

“What is it?” she heard Allura say from somewhere inside the house. “Did you find anything?” Seconds later she heard the Princess enter the courtyard, closely followed by Eslah. 

 

“There’s something here, can you help me pull it out?” Sarah asked, scooting over to allow Allura some room as she knelt down at the edge of the pond. The girls each grabbed hold of the case and, with some effort, pulled it out of the mud.  Eslah held his flashlight above him so they could see better as they brushed mud and sand off its surface. 

 

“What is it?” he asked as they examined it further. 

 

“It’s a case. There’s a journal inside. The pond water played a scene from the past, showed me someone bury this and then run.” Sarah answered, feeling the seam where the alien in the vision had sealed it. “It looked like the person sealed it with some kind of magic.”

 

“We can take it back to the labs and try there. The orbs are going to start to dim soon, we should get back to where we landed and fly up.” 

* * *

The next day they were brought to the lab Eslah worked in. It was a specially designed white room with cutting edge technology specific for studying millennia old inorganic artifacts. They had to wait outside in the hall, as it was a restricted area, but Eslah assured them they could see well through the large window, and he would describe what he was doing through their comm units. 

 

“Okay, the machine has created a quintessence energy that resonates with the stone case and it has opened, removing the contents now.” he described as he gingerly removed the aged journal. His yellow biocontainment suit crinkled as he moved to another table where he gently set the journal down. “This is paper, yet doesn’t look like it’s aged more than a decade….setting up the overhead camera, it will take pictures that we can further analyse. We don’t want to ruin the almost pristine condition of the journal.” Eslah said, smiling at them as he moved to the camera’s controls. 

 

“Sarah, what do you think we’ll find in there?” Allura asked, watching the machine above the table gingerly move and photograph the pages. 

 

“No idea, but I think it’ll be really important. Why else would she hide it with magic?” 

 

“She?”

 

“Yea whoever hid it was a she.” Sarah looked over and found Allura lost in thought. “What is it?”

 

“I’ll…tell you later.” the Princess answered, giving Sarah a look that read as ‘when it’s just the two of us’. Sarah nodded understandingly and returned her gaze to the lab. 

 

“Okay the first batch of images are being processed. Let me get out of this suit and I’ll walk you to the room where we can view them.” Eslah said, breaking the girls out of their thoughts. 

* * *

“For the most part this just looks like a daily log.” Eslah commented as they examined the high resolution photos. “I can’t imagine why she went through so much effort to hide it.” 

 

Sarah stared intensely at the pictures on her own table so she could flip through them quickly. “There’s something important here, I just know it. It very well might have been I’ntayn’s diary, but she wrote something very important down.” 

 

“Sarah!” Allura gasped. “Go to the last few pages!”

 

The ancient pages were a blur before her as she had it skip to the last pages. 

 

“You understand Vfaren?” Eslah asked, impressed. 

 

“Ah-well-yes…” Allura murmured, flustered. “The last pages mention the fall of Altea, an imminent attack…..she writes that she must hide her knowledge, so it doesn’t fall into the wrong hands.”

 

“That’s promising! So, earlier in the journal she must have jotted down notes of something.” 

 

“Oh, just about in the middle!” Eslah said excitedly, clapping his hands. “These look like calculations! And look, she mentions helping the Alteans build something.” Sarah shot a surprised look at Allura, who just barely nodded; she would explain later. “Let’s see….okay here she lists materials and their planet of origin….goodness, a great number of things came from Zonama Sekot. I didn’t think you could do anything on that planet, it’s so overgrown with flora.” 

 

“I’m sure if there’s a will, people will find a way.” Sarah murmured. “Could we have copies of these pictures?” 

 

Eslah’s face fell. “You must leave? Is this really all you were looking for?” 

 

“I can’t be sure yet, but it might be. We need to investigate Zonama Sekot.” Sarah said, her heart drooping a little; she hated upsetting people, especially those who had been so kind and helpful. “We can keep in touch though, yes?” 

 

A small smile returned to his face. “Of course. I’ll transfer the copies to you. And see you off when you go! You were most delightful spelunking companions.”

* * *

“Okay,” Sarah began after they had returned to Darling and left the planet. “What’s with the Altean connection?” 

 

“The Vfarens were on very good terms with the Alteans and Galra. They weren’t close, but they were allies. When my father found the giant stone that eventually became the Black Lion….the Vfarens extended an offer to aid him. The rock had come from god knows where in the universe, and it had strange magical properties. The Vfarens were very skilled in both magic and science, they generally focused on geomagic though. One Vfaren stayed on Altea during the creation process, showing us how to manipulate the stone. I guess I’ntayn helped, too.” Her gaze dropped to the floor. “It looks like the Galra destroyed them not long after they destroyed Altea.” 

 

Sarah nodded sympathetically from her computer, setting a course for Zonama Sekot. “I get the feeling two of my guesses were right, to be completely honest.” 

 

“What do you mean?” Allura asked, confused. 

 

“Well, I guessed they were wiped out by an outside force….and that they destroyed most of their texts to prevent the knowledge from falling into the wrong hands.” She looked up, meeting the Princess’s gaze. “If the Vfarens were that skilled and helped you build the Black Lion that eventually led to Voltron….I imagine they didn’t want that knowledge falling into Galra hands.”

 

Allura’s eyes widened as she nodded. “That sounds like them. I wonder why I’ntayn didn’t? And why she used paper and not stone….”

 

“We might found out at some point on our quest.” 

 

“Quest? You don’t think we might find an answer on Zonama Sekot?”

 

“Not likely, since it’s where they got materials. I just think there might be _something_ there. A second breadcrumb, if you will. And it will lead us to the third.” 

 

Allura smiled and took her seat in the co-pilot chair. “If you say so.”


	128. Second Bedcrumb

“Are you behaving?” Sarah asked her children through the video call as they crowded around the screen. She smiled brightly as they assured her they were and each launched into a story detailing their day. 

 

“Excuse me, little ones.” Sarah’s mom said gently, squeezing in. “Sarah, how are you?” she asked, her large, muted eyes scanning her daughter’s face. “Good! We found some really interesting stuff at our first stop. Have you ever heard of the Vfaren Empire?”

 

“Only murmurs in ancient texts.” she heard her father say from off screen. 

 

“We visited the ruins! It was beautiful, dad, you’d love it.” 

 

“When everyone’s back and safe we should plan a trip.” he said excitedly, leaning in to fit in the frame. 

 

“Sarah, we’re about there.” Allura said from next to her. 

 

“Almost where?” Stena asked, concerned. 

 

“Our next stop. We’ll call again after with an update. Love you all, bye!” Sarah said, disconnecting after the chorus of goodbyes rang out. “I take it that green dot is Zonama Sekot?”

 

“I wouldn’t know myself as I never went to collect materials, but I presume it is judging by the stories we’ve heard.” Allura said with a nod. “Uh oh.”

 

“Oh don’t give me an ‘uh oh’.” Sarah groaned. 

 

“There’s a Galra base here.”

 

“Well that’s just typical.” Sarah grumbled dryly, activating Darling’s invisibility. 

* * *

They only just barely managed to land Darling on the uneven jungle floor, so crowded with flora only the barest hint of light could be seen filtering down and the ground was covered in green. 

 

“Okay we aren’t far from the facility.” Sarah said as they set off, already struggling against the dangerous terrain. 

 

“I feel like it’s still going to take us hours to get there. These vines are impossible!” Allura groaned as she almost tripped. 

 

“I don’t see how anyone could possibly mine resources from here, much less build and maintain a facility. This place is virtually inhospitable.” 

 

“I’m sure the Galra have developed a destructive way to survive on a planet such as this.” Allura suggested darkly. 

 

“I would not put it past them.” 

 

The girls spent the next hour traversing through the dense jungle in silence, save for the occasional grunt of effort, as they were focused on their footing.

 

At the end of the hour they saw the purple metal of the Galra facility just ahead of them, covered in moss and vines like the rest of the jungle. 

 

“Okay, so, where do you think this second breadcrumb will be?” Allura asked as they crouched down behind the enormous roots of a towering tree. 

 

“Databanks or something. If the materials from here were used to make Voltron, I’d be surprised if Zarkon didn’t have his people keep mining for resources. So I guess which materials are used for what now? I’m not completely sure myself.” Sarah admitted apologetically. 

 

“Recon is something we can do easy.” Allura assured her. “We’ll be in and out.”

* * *

Neither of them had anticipated the facility being a druid haven. Almost as soon as they had snuck in through the ventilation system, the alarms began to blare. Thinking quickly, Sarah pulled out her phone and turned on the app Krisox had sent her. It would absorb what information it could while they moved around, seeing as taking the time to physically hack anything was out the window.

 

“How’d they detect us?” Allura asked, utterly confused. “We didn’t make a sound!”

 

“Judging by the runes on the walls, this is druid territory. My guess is they….well, my presence tripped something.” she said guiltily. 

 

Allura’s eyes widened as the realisation washed over her, before she shook her head gaze determinedly at her friend. “It doesn’t matter. Let’s do what we came to do and get out.” Sarah smiled appreciatively and nodded. 

* * *

“Okay, my apps working, it’s gotten some intel already.” Sarah said as the girls ran through the halls. “No idea where Krisox got this or how it works, but it sure is a fucking life saver.”

 

“I’ll say.” Allura agreed, ducking to avoid blaster fire from behind them. 

 

Sarah stuffed her phone back in its hiding place and turned, quickly destroying the sentries with a wave of her hand. “You think we should pull out?” she asked, panting. “There’s a disturbing lack of druids….”

 

“Let’s go just a little further. If it gets too hot, then we pull out.” 

 

“I’m curious what your definition of ‘too hot’ is.” Sarah teased dryly as they began running again. 

 

Turning a corner, they entered a large, wide room with giant robot parts that were in the middle of some kind of production. Before they had a chance to take in their surroundings, four druids appeared in front of them, blocking their path. 

 

“Okay I might have jinxed us with the druid comment.” Sarah murmured, her hands glowing. 

 

The druids split up, two attacking each girl. The room became filled with magical energy, the air crackling from the intensity as white and black lightning shot in every direction. Allura managed to somehow absorb and redirect most of what was shot at her, and though she still wasn’t quite sure how she could do it, she was grateful. It wouldn’t do for her to be helpless as her friend faced the druids alone. 

 

She heard Sarah cry out, and a quick glance revealed her friend on the floor, quickly pushing herself up as her two druids came towards her. The dynamics of the battle changed when one of Allura’s disappeared, reappearing behind Sarah.

 

“Sarah!” Allura cried desperately as three druids surrounded her friend. The druid facing her parried her strikes skillfully, blocking her from running to Sarah’s aid. She watched helplessly as the three around the small human closed in, each forming black and purple orbs in their hands. 

 

“Haggar has given the order to execute you on sight. She says you’ve been a nuisance for far too long.” one of the druids told her. Allura saw Sarah’s darting eyes focus on him for a moment. 

 

But a moment was all it took. 

 

The world seemed to slow down as the two druids behind Sarah both fired beams of purple energy at her friend. Allura called out to her, but it was too late. Just as Sarah began to look behind her, the beams connected as they collided with her, shooting through her torso like lightning as she screamed in agony. 

 

The druid in front of Allura was distracted for only a second but Allura took full advantage of it, swinging her leg around kicking him in his midsection, sending him flying. One of the druids surrounding Sarah turned as Allura charged, firing a beam at her. She crossed her arms in front of her, absorbing the magical energy, before swinging her fist. Practically crackling with purple lightning, the druid exploded into light and dust on contact. The other two turned from Sarah’s now limp body, sprawled where she had fallen to the floor, and focused their efforts on Allura. Her body had an aura of purple lightning now, which she focused on her hands, shooting beams of crackling magical energy at the druids, encompassing their bodies before they burst. 

 

Panting, she took a few deep breaths to rid herself of the magic before running over to Sarah. “Please, Sarah, please…” she cried, taking the small human in her arms. “I’ll….I’ll get us out of here.” 

* * *

“C’mon, c’mon…” Allura muttered as she got Darling in the air and turned on the auto pilot. She then knelt down next to Sarah, holding her friend in her arms as she cried. As she held her close, she noticed that the small human was still breathing, but only just barely. Closing her eyes, she rested her forehead on Sarah’s as she focused on her own Altean magic. She didn’t fully understand it, but she had healed the Balmera; surely healing Sarah wouldn’t be hard? 

 

As she felt the air around her buzz, she opened her eyes and gasped; she was glowing blue, and her aura was spreading to Sarah. “Yes, yes!” she cried as she heard her friend’s breathing return to normal. 

 

As the glowing dimmed, Sarah stirred slightly. “A-allura?” she murmured, sounding exhausted. 

 

“Shuush, rest now. I’ll get us someplace safe.” the Princess said, smiling as she rested her forehead against Sarah’s again. “Just rest, it’s all okay now.” 


	129. Recovery

Allura skillfully maneuvered through the crowded market, looking for a stall that sold good food for cheap. She knew it was almost impossible and she was likely looking in vain, but still she pressed on. To her surprise, she found exactly what she was looking for. She wasted no time in purchasing a large basket worth of food. 

 

“Lance?!” Allura gasped as she turned away from the market stall and ran right into him. “What the quiznak are you-Keith?!?”

 

“Hey.” the Red Paladin said, joining Lance. “We haven’t heard from you guys in over a month, so we came to find you. What happened?” 

 

“How’d you find us?” 

 

“Krisox can track Darling’s whereabouts anywhere in the universe.” 

 

“That doesn’t surprise me.” she sighed. “Okay, follow me.”

 

Allura led them through the busy marketplace, down a narrow alley, and through a crowded apartment building, before arriving at a small house tucked away between two large buildings. She unlocked the ancient door with a wave of her hand, pushing it open. It took a moment for their eyes to adjust to the darkness inside, the only light coming from a few glowing orbs hanging in a corner of the one room building. 

 

“She prefers dim light.” Allura murmured as her pupils adjusted to the warm glow. 

 

Sarah was resting against the side wall, her breathing soft and gentle as she slept. Allura knelt next to her, moving the blanket aside to inspect the bandages wrapped up and down her friend’s torso. “I’ll need to change these when she wakes up, she won’t like that…”

 

“What the hell happened?” Lance whispered, alarmed.

 

“Darling’s parked on the roof, let’s talk there.” 

 

“Well?” Keith asked expectantly as Darling’s hatch closed. 

 

“We ran into druids on Zonama Sekot. They tried to kill her-very nearly succeeded, too.” Allura answered, wincing at the memory. .

 

“Why didn’t you hail the castle? We could have been there in no time, have her in a med pod-”

 

“We couldn’t risk it. The Galra pursued us for a week. It was really chaotic, I was trying to take care of Sarah and keep us alive….” she sighed. “I almost crash landed on this planet. Somehow I managed to get us a place to lay low. That was three weeks ago. Darling got damaged, I haven’t been able to reach anyone. I hoped, if Sarah healed she’d be able to fix it.” 

 

“She hasn’t healed in a month?” Lance asked, shocked. 

 

“She has a little. But not enough. She’s still really weak and it hurts to move.”

 

“How have you been….paying for anything?” 

 

“Sarah had some money stashed away for emergencies in Darling. But we are almost out.”

 

“So we take her back to the castle.” Keith suggested. “Get her in a pod and she’ll be good as new.”

 

Allura shook her head sadly. “I asked her about that, she said she’s not returning to the castle until we find Shiro.” 

 

“Well, she can’t exactly put up a fight, so we can anyway-”

 

“Keith, we aren’t doing that.”

 

“Well what else is there?!” he asked angrily. “We don’t have anything to go on to keep looking for Shiro and she’s severely wounded and it looks like she’s not gonna get better anytime soon. What other options do we have?” 

 

“We do have something to go on, actually.” Allura growled, her eyes narrowing. “The name the Black Lion gave us seems to have had a hand in its creation. I thought she must have died ten thousand years ago, but some of the data Sarah’s phone managed to grab from the facility on Zonama Sekot suggest that she’s still alive.” 

 

“Okay, so someone else who has inexplicably lived that long. So what?”

 

“Did you miss when I said she had a hand in the Black Lion’s creation?” Allura fired back. “And judging by the journal we found at the ruins, she played a critical role. She lists all the materials necessary, she has detailed notes and blueprints…I thought only one of her species helped us build the Lions but I could be mistaken.”

 

“Okay but how does that help us find Shiro?”

 

“If we can find this I’ntayn, I’m sure she’ll lead us straight to Shiro. The Lions are the ones who made him disappear, so maybe the person who played a critical role in their creation will know something we don’t.”

 

“Okay…okay….” Keith said, looking to continue arguing but unable to. “So what next?” he asked finally, defeated. 

 

“I’m not entirely sure to be honest.” she admitted. “I know Sarah had some ideas, but…Let’s go back down, see if she’s awake.”

* * *

“Oh that so figures.” Sarah grumbled later after she was filled in on how the two Paladins found them. “I suppose I shouldn’t complain.” 

 

“I told them about the information we gathered.” Allura said as she carefully removed Sarah’s bandages. “They’re curious what we do next. I am too, to be honest.” 

 

“I’m not completely sure, but I think one thing that will help us is figuring out how I’ntayn has managed to live this long.” she answered, wincing slightly. 

 

“That looks insane.” Lance murmured as her wound was revealed. 

 

A large star burst made of scar tissue and tender pink skin adorned her torso. She gasped slightly as Allura removed the rest of the bandages. The boys mercifully turned around will she was bare, allowing her privacy while Allura applied fresh bandages. 

 

“Yea, it’s still pretty tender. But on the bright side I have a pretty bitchin scar now!” She smiled as Lance chuckled. 

 

“Where do you suppose we start to look into that?” Keith asked. 

 

Sarah frowned. “What do you mean we?”

 

“We’re coming with you.” he said in a hostile tone, daring her to say otherwise. 

 

Sarah shared an uneasy look with Allura but neither felt like arguing. “Okay, fine. We need to find a place where a lot of information is stored. I have an idea, but I don’t know if it’s Galra free or not.” 

 

“What is it?” Lance asked. 

 

“There’s a planet, it has connections with Stie K2, it’s like a giant library. There’s a university there and living quadrants and instant teleportation to get from one section to the other.”

 

“Sounds overwhelming.” 

 

“It can be a bit but they have a robust search system. You can turn back around now.” she said as she lowered her shirt over the new bandages. 

 

“Do you feel up to that?” Allura asked, watching her carefully. 

 

“I mean it’s just a library.” Sarah said with a smile. “I’ll manage.” 

 

Allura’s eyes scanned Sarah’s face before she nodded and turned to the Paladins. “What did you come in?” 

 

“Krisox lent us his ship.” Lance answered. “When do we head out?”

 

“Let’s wait a few days.” Allura said, cutting Sarah off as she had opened her mouth. “You haven’t been up and walking for longer than an hour in over a month. Let’s give a few days so you can stretch and get back into the swing of things.” Though it looked like Sarah was on the verge of arguing, she conceded, nodding.


	130. Third Breadcrumb

“Damn, you weren’t kidding.” Lance said in awe as they finished passing through security, gazing open-mouthed out the giant lobby windows that overlooked the planet-wide library below them. 

 

“I tend not to exaggerate.” Sarah said, laughing. 

 

“Okay, where do we start?” Allura asked, watching her friend carefully. Sarah still found it rather painful to move around, but did her best to hide it. Allura was keenly aware of it, however, hovering close just in case. 

 

“The search room should be off to the side here-yea, there it is!” Sarah said excitedly, picking up her pace as much as her body would allow. 

 

Upon entering, the group found the high ceiling room filled with holoscreen consoles. Many were being used, as patrons browsed the planet’s collection or looked for a particular area of interest. Sarah walked to an open one and quickly began inputting search criteria. “Okay, looks like there’s two really promising sections.” she said after a moment. “The biology sector and the magic sector.”

 

“Those still seem like rather large sections….” Allura said uneasily. 

 

“We can further narrow down our search when we get there. Me and Allura will take magic if you two are good to take bio.” 

 

“What exactly is it that we’re looking for?” Keith asked, slightly testily; he was still rather upset with her for refusing to return to the castle. 

 

“Anything on prolonged life spans or immortality.” she answered, closing out of the console and leading them to the teleport pads. “I have my phone on my, so just give me a call if you need anything.” she said, waving as her and Allura were instantly transported to the magic sector. 

 

“Do you trust them to be alone?” Allura asked, raising an eyebrow as the girls stepped off the pad. 

 

“I mean it’s a library, there’s not too many shenanigans you can get into.”

 

“You said you weren’t sure if it was under Galra control or not.”

 

“Do you see any Galra?” Sarah asked with a laugh. “I was mostly afraid of that because then the library would be gone.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“This is the largest information resource in the known universe. They have everything here. Including ways to thwart a dictatorship, if you know where to look.” 

 

“Oh,” Allura murmured, eyes wide. 

 

“From what I can tell, the more educated the citizens, the more dangerous they are to those in power.” Sarah said with a smile as she approached a search console. “So, yea, this place wouldn’t be here if the Galra had it.”

 

“I’m impressed they’ve managed to keep it safe for as long as they have.” 

 

“I think they’re employing the same measures Stiea K2 used.”

 

“But that fell.” Allura reminded her. 

 

“Yea….I was never told how. I think Zarkon probably cheated.”

 

“Cheated?” Allura asked with a chuckle.

 

“Well, yea, I mean, he’s been sucking planets dry. Stiea K2 isn’t exactly prepared for that kind of weapon.” 

 

“True…” the princess agreed solemnly. 

 

“Okay, looks like there’s some stuff on immortality in row Ma-5.” Sarah said after a moment. “I think it’s this way.”

* * *

“It looks like most of this talks about infusing pure quintessence directly into a person.” Allura said a few hours later as she and Sarah sat at a table, several books spread across it. 

 

“Huh….” Sarah murmured thoughtfully. “I just remembered, when we infiltrated Zarkon’s command ship with my brother, Shiro and I found one of Haggar’s rooms and I had like…a vision or something. It showed Haggar like zapping Zarkon with quintessence and he absorbed it.”

 

“That might explain his long life span!” Allura gasped. “But surely that would have some kind of side effect?”

 

“You’d think, but it seems to be a very rare ability so there isn’t much on it.” Sarah jumped a little when her phone buzzed. “Hey.”

 

“Hey, we might have found something!” Lance said excitedly on the other end. 

 

“Oh?”

 

“Yea, apparently there’s this ancient home remedy thing where you bath in pure quintessence. I say home remedy, but really it was mostly just royals and stuff who used it. And they got it by draining slaves somehow. But it supposedly lengthened your life.” 

 

“Oh that’s interesting! Have you found anything else?” 

 

“Yea, you don’t have to suck the life force out of someone, some people took a little bit from their planet or the plants or animals near them.” 

 

“Okay, I’ll pass that along and get back to you.” she said with a nod, hanging up. “The boys found a thing on bathing in pure quintessence? Some ancient remedy thing used by royalty.” 

 

“Makes sense. Where do people get pure quintessence from? And how?” 

 

“That might be the next thing we need to figure out.” 

* * *

“Krisox?!” Sarah asked in astonishment as she answered her phone again an hour later. 

 

“Yo, the boys told me what you were researching when i called to check in on my ship. I might have something for you. It’s unconfirmed, and there’s no way to confirm it….you remember Aunchora?”

 

“Uh, yea, she tried to have me killed.” Sarah said dryly. 

 

“Yea. Well, she’s likely as old as dirt, but no one knows how she stays alive and looking so young. The prevailing theory is she does what the boys read up on: she bathes in quintessence.”

 

“Holy shit.”

 

“Yea. Like I said, can’t confirm anything, but people who work with her tend to disappear a lot, and she’s known for taking long, luxurious baths.”

 

“Seems as good a theory as any. Would you happen to have an idea of how she extracts the quintessence?”

 

“Honestly torture is the most direct method. That I know of, anyway. I suppose if you could manipulate quintessence flow, you could collect pure quintessence from the world around you.”

 

“Okay, thanks bro. I’ll call bac-”

 

“Hey, what happened by the way? The fam was worried sick, we didn’t hear from you for over a month.”

 

“Uh…we encountered a problem. But it’s sorted now.”

 

“Is that really all I’m gonna get?”

 

“I can elaborate when everyone’s back home safe and sound.” 

 

“Okay….later, sis.”

 

“Late-oh, hey, wait,”

 

“Yea?” 

 

“Do you know anyone in ah….your _circle_ …who might be in the business of selling or buying quintessence?”

 

“Hmmm….maybe. Give me an hour.” 

 

“Oh-okay.” Sarah muttered, taken aback when he abruptly hung up. 

 

“What’d he want?” Allura asked as she looked up from her book. 

 

“He said it’s very likely a crime boss lady is using quintessence somehow to extend her life, as no one actually knows how old she is. I asked him how people typically extract quintessence and the most direct way he’s aware of is torture.” She nodded grimly when Allura recoiled. “He did however suggest that if someone were in tune with the flow of the universe’s quintessence, they could extract it without having to resort to torture.”

 

“Can you do that?” the princess asked, raising an eyebrow. 

 

“I think…maybe? Like, I extracted Riddell’s quintessence to give it back to the dead planet. So probably?” 

 

Allura nodded. “Should we call the boys and rendezvous?” 

 

“Probably.”

* * *

“Okay, Krisox says there’s a guy who sells pure quintessence on the black market, he operates on a planet called Fafts.” Sarah said an hour later. 

 

“Is that our next stop?” Lance asked, excited. 

 

“Yep.”

 

“What do we do when we find him?” Keith asked, arms crossed across his chest. 

 

“We ah….persuade him to tell us who his clientele are and how he collects pure quintessence.” 

 

“Persuade him?” he asked, smirking despite still being rather upset with her. 

 

“Yea. I’m open to suggestions on that front, if you have any ideas.” 

 

The group chuckled as they passed back through the planet’s security and boarded their ships. 


	131. Fourth Breadcrumb

“Wow he is a hard nut to crack.” Sarah commented, leaning back in her chair as she observed the [alien](http://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=http%3A%2F%2Fvignette3.wikia.nocookie.net%2Fstarwars%2Fimages%2F8%2F83%2FDexter_Jettster_%28Besalisk%29_FF44.jpg%2Frevision%2Flatest%3Fcb%3D20070712205318&t=ZjZkOTQ0NTNjMTE2NmEzNjNlMDE1ZjUwZDE2OGM4YjgyMjYxZmYxMyx5VjAwMEZ3RA%3D%3D&b=t%3AUp-8vRCgTYJDx5VxPdiFaA&p=http%3A%2F%2Fterezisexbuttpyrope.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F158163918165%2Ffourth-breadcrumb&m=0) across the street with small binoculars. The four had landed on Fafts a week ago, and though they had found their target almost on the first day, he had evaded or thwarted their efforts to squeeze any information out of him. 

 

“Why are you so surprised?” Allura asked, raising an eyebrow. “He’s a black market dealer of _quintessence_. I figure it’ll take a lot more to get him to talk. I didn’t expect to get the information in such a straightforward method, honestly, I figured you’d use your phone to hack something.” 

 

“Nah, according to Krisox he doesn’t keep his data on electronic equipment. It’s all paper or in his memory. Mostly in his memory.”

 

“Well that would have been nice to know a week ago.” Keith grumbling. 

 

Sarah blinked, confused. “Did I not….?”

 

“No, you didn’t.” Allura said with a chuckle. 

 

“Oh…sorry….” 

 

“Got any other ideas beside strong-arming the info out of him?” Lance asked, returning with their drinks. “I get a feeling he isn’t likely to be broken by force.”

 

“Or persuasion.” Keith added.

 

“Bribes maybe?”

 

“We don’t have that kind of money.” Sarah said grimly. 

 

“We’ll think of something.” Allura assured them. 

* * *

“Oooh, hoverbikes!” Sarah cooed after they finished their meal and were walking back to their ships, lightly jogging over to where a dozen hoverbikes were parked. 

 

“You ride?” Keith asked, surprised, joining her. 

 

“Only recreationally.” 

 

“Hey-Well, if it isn’t the curious humans.” a voice said from the adjacent shack. 

 

“Holy shit Raz, how many businesses do you own?” Sarah asked the black market dealer they had attempted to interrogate for a week. 

 

“More than you’ll ever learn about, now scram.” 

 

“Hey, I was just looking! I used to race a lot, I miss it a little.” 

 

“ _You_ used to race hoverbikes?” Lance asked incredulously. 

 

“Believe it or not, Lance, I like to have fun sometimes.”

 

“Were you any good?” Raz asked gruffly. 

 

Sarah narrowed her eyes. “Yea, I’d say I was decent.” she said cooly. 

 

“I’d have to see it to believe it.” Keith said smugly. “Can’t beat me, that’s for sure.”

 

“I tell ya what-you two race, and I’ll give the winner one.” 

 

“What?” Allura asked in utter disbelief. “You’ll just give us one, just like that?!”

 

“Well there’d be a few conditions…”

 

“Such as?”

 

“I’d need the winner to do a few races for me, nothing much.” 

 

“I’m down.” Keith said, stretching. 

 

“Keith, you are not down, this isn’t why we-” Allura began, before Sarah cut her off.

 

“The winner races for you and you give us the intel we asked for.” 

 

“Depends how good the winner is.” Raz said with a dark chuckle. “Lost my last racer to rival teams. Been unable to participate in the underground racing ring since.”

 

“Okay. Deal.” 

 

“Sarah!” Allura chastised. “You still haven’t fully healed….”

 

“I can do this, no problem.” Sarah said confidently. “When do we start?”

 

“Now’s good for me.” Raz said with a smirk. 

* * *

“Sarah, I really wish you wouldn’t do this. Just over a week ago you could barely walk!” Allura insisted an hour later, after [Sarah](http://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=http%3A%2F%2Fi102.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fm118%2Fpadme_lovr%2Fshirahsarahrace_zpsavfcvxu5.png&t=YjRiZjU2ZGY2OTkxNTBmYTQ2N2QxNWZlOTlhZWM5ZWI5YjVjYTIxNCx5VjAwMEZ3RA%3D%3D&b=t%3AUp-8vRCgTYJDx5VxPdiFaA&p=http%3A%2F%2Fterezisexbuttpyrope.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F158163918165%2Ffourth-breadcrumb&m=0) and Keith had suited up. 

 

“I mean…sure, it’s reckless.” Sarah conceded. “But there’s a chance we might get the intel we need to move forward. And I’ve got this.” 

 

Allura threw up her hands, exasperated. “Just be careful.” she grumbled as she stepped off to the side to join Lance, leaning against the wall and crossing her arms over her chest angrily. 

 

“You sure about this?” Keith murmured as he got on his bike, helmet under his arm. “You still really haven’t recovered…”

 

“Look, let’s just do this, okay?” Sarah grumbled. It was true, it still hurt to even move around. But they had a chance to really move forward with their quest to find Shiro. She wasn’t about to let it pass them up just cause she had a weak human body. She smirked a little knowing they were in for the surprise of a lifetime. 

 

“Okay, when the screen goes green, go.” Raz said on the opposite side of the bikes from Allura and Lance. 

 

Sarah lifted her gaze to look at the screen, excited as she felt adrenaline flow through her. The screen turned yellow and she lowered her gaze, staring straight ahead; eye on the prize. Raz had said it was a rough-terrain course, which didn’t surprise her. Though most of the tracks on Stiea K2 only simulated rough terrain, she had done a few races with her sister on mostly uninhabited planets. It was really the only form of teenage rebellion she took part in. 

 

When she saw the screen turn green out of her peripherals, she was off. All of her worries were wiped away as the wind blew her hair around wildly. She wouldn’t exactly call it her “element”, but it was damn near close; she _lived_ for this feeling. The rush of the wind, the sheer speed of the bike….it was exhilarating. 

 

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Keith catching up to her. Thinking quickly, she used a passing rock formation to launch herself up and over him, causing him to gasp in surprise and lose ground. When she was back parallel to the ground she was laughing, leaning forward to push her bike faster and leaving him in a cloud of dust behind her. 

* * *

“Holy _shit_ , Sarah!” Keith called as he pulled his bike to a stop, a full thirty seconds after she had. 

 

“I daresay I beat you.” she said with a giggle as he took off his helmet and ran over to join her. 

 

“You are just full of surprises.” Raz said gruffly. 

 

“You have no idea…” Allura murmured, smiling conspiratorially. 

 

“So I get a bike. And answers. And in exchange, I race for you.” Sarah said, one hand on her hip as she held her helmet with the other. 

 

“I want you both. You’re both faster than any other racer around these parts.” 

 

“That wasn’t the dea-” Sarah began, before Keith cut her off.

 

“Fine, I’m game.” 

 

“Good! First race is in a week.”

 

“First-give us one piece of information.” Sarah said, smoothly cutting off his exit. 

 

Raz glared at her for a moment before he sighed in defeat. “Fine. I get quintessence from crystal caves. You can melt the crystals without losing the energy with a special machine. Now that’s it until your first win.” 

 

Sarah nodded and stepped aside, allowing him to leave. 

 

“Sarah, I’m really not sure about this.” Allura said later that night as she changed her friends bandages. 

 

“I know….I know…” Sarah murmured. “I’m…I know I’m being reckless. And I am a little scared. But…” she trailed off, shrugging. Luckily, Allura understood and nodded. 

 

“I know how badly you want to find Shiro. I just wish you wouldn’t put your life on the line, you know he wouldn’t want you to.” 

 

“At least I’m not destroying the universe.” Sarah quipped, earning her a small smile from Allura. 

* * *

“These guys are really intimidating…” Allura commented the day of their first race. They were gathered in the starting area, Sarah and Keith two of a total of ten racers. Their competitors were rugged and imposing, a stark contrast to Sarah and Keith’s clean, youthful exteriors. They didn’t seem to pay them any mind, for which Sarah was grateful. It would make it all the better when she beat them. 

 

“Yea…but I’ve got something they don’t.” Sarah said with a devilish smirk. 

 

“Skill?” Lance asked.

 

“Experience?” Allura guessed. 

 

“I’m a skinny little bitch.” Sarah answered with a laugh, causing her group to join her. 

 

“I suppose that is helpful in something like this.” 

 

“You bet your fine chocolate ass!” Sarah said happily, causing Lance to choke on his drink. 

 

“Riders to their bikes!” the announcer called. In the flurry of movement, Lance and Allura barely managed to wish their friends good luck before they were hastily ushered off the track. 

 

“Kinda funny that they put us at the front for handicap reasons.” Keith smirked, donning his helmet. 

 

“They’ll learn their mistake prolly five seconds in.” Sarah quipped, adjusting her helmet. “Let’s show em up big time, yea?”

 

“Wouldn’t have it any other way.” 

 

“I hope you’re famished, darling. Cause you’re about to eat my dust.” one of their opponents said from behind them. 

 

“Oh, I am positively starving!” Sarah said giddily, making Keith laugh and the biker blink in confusion. 

 

“When the screen goes green, go!” the announcer said, bringing all the riders to attention. Sarah and Keith bent forward, eager to start. They had kind of silently agreed that this would be a race between just the two of them; they’d easily leave the others behind. 

 

She saw the screen turn yellow out of the corner of her eye, staring straight ahead at the track that laid before her. She and Keith had been allowed to practise on it a few times, so that there would be no surprises in an effort to make the race more “fair” for the newcomers. She felt devious knowing that they didn’t need the handicaps, but they were going to use them all the same. 

 

The screen went green and she was off, bent low over her bike to lessen the drag. At the first turn, she tooks a split second to look behind her, laughing as she saw her and Keith’s lead. She saw him smirk and accelerate, pulling up beside her. “Oh no you don’t.” she murmured with a grin, pushing herself close against her bike. 

 

The two were neck and neck most of the time, their competition a small blur behind them. “God, are they even trying?” Sarah called, causing Keith to smirk. 

 

Allura and Lance ran up to them when they pulled across the finish line, relief clear on their face. The announcer declared Sarah the winner with Keith being an extremely close second. The group moved out of the way for the other racers, who pulled in fifteen seconds later, glaring at the two winners. “I don’t like the way they’re glaring at you two.” Allura murmured. 

 

“Oh, they’ll get over it.” Sarah said casually, as Raz ran up to them excitedly. 

 

“I don’t think they will, Sarah.” 

 

“That was amazing!” Raz said as he got closer. “Keep racing like that and we’re sure to win the grand cup!” 

 

“How many more races are there?” Keith asked coolly. 

 

“Only four. The more races you win, the more information I’ll give you.” 

 

Sarah sighed heavily. “Fine. Let’s get out of here and then you pay up.” 

* * *

Over the course of a month, Sarah and Keith won two races for Raz. With each win, the resentment of the other riders grew and grew. Just as Allura had thought, they did not take kindly to the newcomers beating them over and over again. Sarah ignored it at first, but when one of the rival riders followed her back to her ship from an errand, she could no longer deny that their competitors were indeed dangerous and her and her team should proceed with caution. They took to moving their ships every other night, just to be safe. They didn’t know what the other racers were capable of. 

 

They would soon find out. 

 

“Ready for another win?” Sarah laughed with Keith as they walked to the starting area.

 

“Don’t be so cocky, Sarah.” Keith teased. 

 

“Ha, look who’s talking!” 

 

As they swung their legs over their hover bikes, Sarah noticed that the other racers were staring, but their eyes weren’t hostile. They looked like they….expected something. “Keith, I don’t like the way they’re looking at us.” she murmured uneasily. 

 

“Yea…I don’t much like it either. Allura, you get that?” 

 

“Yep.” Allura chimed in over their comm units. “I’ve got an eye on all the feeds spread out over the track. Doesn’t look like there’s anything out of the normal. Think they might have sabotaged the bikes?” 

 

“No, they can’t have.” Sarah said assuredly. “Raz said the bikes are locked up tight as fuck just before races.”

 

“I mean there’s a couple weeks between races, where are they then?” Lance asked. 

 

“With their respective owners. I have no idea where Raz keeps his so I presume his security is pretty tight.” 

 

“Well stay alert, just in case.” Allura warned as the screen went yellow above them. 

 

“Will do!” Sarah chirped. 

 

The screen went green and she was off, speeding ahead like she usually did. Sarah tried to keep Allura’s warning in mind, but she always had so much _fun_. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Keith was also enjoying himself.

 

When she took the first turn, the tables turned. 

 

“Sarah!” Keith cried out as she went spinning off the track into the rocky wilderness. She lost all sense of direction, focusing on holding onto the hover bike, not sure what else to do. Someone had definitely sabotaged her bike. 

 

The vehicle hit a rock formation and she was launched, flying through the air before hitting something hard, blacking out as her body exploded in agony.

* * *

“Sarah!” Allura cried as she landed Darling close by the girl and Keith. “What happened?!” 

 

“I don’t know!” Keith said, on edge. “She took the first turn and her bike went wildly off track and when I got here she was unconscious a-and she’s bleeding…”

 

“I told her she shouldn’t race, she hasn’t healed from the druids yet.” Allura said, her tone panicked as she picked Sarah up. “Keith, you take Lance and tell Raz what happened. I’m going to take Sarah somewhere safe, somewhere we haven’t been yet.” 

 

“What can you do?” Lance asked as he and Keith hopped on the latter’s bike. 

 

“I don’t know, I’ll do what I can.” 

 

“Good luck!” 

 

Allura nodded as she closed Darling’s hatch, taking off and activating the small craft’s invisibility. She flew to the other edge of town, landing behind a strange rock formation surrounded by dry brush. After she had Darling squared away, she knelt down next to Sarah, scared by the small girls laboured breathing. The princess began undressing her friend to attend to her bandages, her hands shaking slightly. 

* * *

“I’ve told you about the machine I use and a brief history of quintessence mining. You didn’t win this one, so no information.” Raz said angrily, glaring at Keith who was in his face. 

 

“Sarah almost _died._ ” he said, his tone dangerous. “You didn’t tell us these racers might try and sabotage or hurt us. That wasn’t part of the fucking deal!” 

 

“Not my problem! There’s one more race and you better win otherwise that's’ it.” Raz snapped his fingers and two hulking aliens came out from the back of his office and roughly grabbed Keith and Lanc, forcing them out. 

 

“What do we do?” Lance asked as they made their way back to Krisox’s ship. 

 

“I’m gonna have to do the last race alone.” Keith sighed. “I’m still faster than all the others so it shouldn’t be too hard.”

 

“I wonder why only Sarah’s bike was sabotaged and yours wasn’t.” Lance mused. 

 

“Mine was.” Keith said grimly. “It just didn’t work. I checked the bikes after I found Sarah.”

 

“What?!”

 

“Don’t worry, I disabled it and hid my bike. It’ll be fine for the last race.” 

* * *

“I think we should pull out.” Allura said after the Paladins met up with her. “It’s just not worth the risk anymore.” 

 

“But we need more information!” Keith argued. 

 

“I know, but it’s not worth risking your life for!” 

 

“For all we know, Shiro’s somewhere in danger right now. The more information we get the faster we can track him down.” 

 

“Lance?!” Allura said, turning to him abruptly. 

 

“Uh…I think you have a point….but we do need the information.” he said thoughtfully. “Tell Raz that Keith will only race if we’re promised something big.”

 

Allura glared between them for a moment before sighing huffily. “Fine.” 

* * *

“So that’s the new deal.” Lance finished the next day, informing Raz of the change. “You promise us a big piece of information, like your buyers’ names, or we walk and you don’t get anymore wins.” 

 

Raz glared at him and Keith for a moment. “You mentioned the name I’ntayn once.” he said, throwing the two off guard.

 

“Uh-yea? So?”

 

“I’ll tell you where she is.” 

 

“What?!” Keith almost shouted. 

 

“You heard me. Win, and I will tell you where she is.” the alien leaned forward. “But you have to win, no matter what the others do to you or your friends or your bikes. Deal?”

 

Keith set his jaw and nodded. “Deal.”

* * *

“Where’s your little girl friend?” one of the other bikers said the morning just before the final race. Keith growled at his cocky grin, but otherwise ignored him.

 

“Patience yields focus…” he repeated to himself. He couldn’t risk losing. Not when Shiro was possibly at stake. 

 

He swung himself up onto his bike, which he had triple checked for sabotage, and bent low, itching to go. He knew he could outrun them, if he could get around them; his starting position was in the very back. 

 

The screen went green and everyone took off, leaving large dust clouds behind them. Keith deftly weaved between the other racers, ignoring yells of outrage. Some of them abruptly pulled in front of him, blocking his path, but he quickly slid to their other side and sped around them. It didn’t take him very long to reach the front, much to the other bikers’ dismay. 

 

“You aren’t walking away from this!” the frontrunner yelled to Keith as he gained on him. The two had already left most of the others behind.

 

“Oh I think I will! I’m walking away with this win cause I have an advantage that you don’t.” Keith said with a smirk, pulling up next to him.

 

“And what’s that, human?” 

 

“I’m a skinny little bitch!” Keith laughed, quoting Sarah as he rocketed ahead. 

* * *

When Keith pulled over the finish line, he jumped off his bike, paying no mind to the cheering locals and the rival bikers coming in behind him. He made a beeline to Raz who was beside himself. “You did it! You won, thank you m’boy!”

 

“Where’s I’ntayn? I want an exact location and how to get there _now._ ”

 

“Tsk tsk, you get right to it, don’t you? No time to celebrate?” Raz asked, before grumbling under Keith’s glare. “Fine. Follow me.”

* * *

“Okay here’s the coordinates, he said I’ntayn lives in some kind of temple with monks.” Keith said as he plugged the numbers into Darlings navigation computer. 

 

“Okay, let’s get going. I don’t want to spend another second on this dreadful planet.” Allura said appreciatively. 

 

“Is Sarah okay to travel…?” he asked, his voice dropping to a whisper as he glanced at the girl sleeping on the pull out bed. 

 

“We don’t have much choice.” Allura answered grimly. 

 

Keith nodded. “Let’s get out of here then.” he said, leaving and jogging over and into Krisox’s ship. Lance closed the back hatch behind him and they rose into the air, watching Darling move with them before taking off into space. Keith followed close behind, eager to get to I’ntayn and find out what she knows. _We’re coming for you, Shiro_. he thought. _We will find you._


	132. Final Breadcrumb

“Sarah, I’m afraid that’s completely out of the question!” Allura said irritably. “You can barely sit up!” 

 

“But I just….I really feel like Shiro’s here.” Sarah argued from the pull-out bed. “Can’t you do some of your Altean magic? Didn’t it work last time?” 

 

“I still don’t fully understand my magic, I’m not even sure how I got it to work last time. I mean I can try but if it doesn’t work, I’m going to have to insist you _stay in bed_.” Allura said fiercely with a tone of finality. Sarah frowned but nodded. As much as she wanted to insist otherwise, she really didn’t see herself winning this fight. 

* * *

“I really think this is a bad idea, Sarah.” Keith said from Darling’s holoscreen. “Lance scanned the planet’s comm channels, there’s some kind of conflict going on near the monastery I’ntayn’s supposed to be at. It could get kinda dangerous, I don’t want you getting hurt again!” 

 

“I’m going, Keith!” Sarah insisted angrily. “Allura and I have worked it out, and we’ll be extra cautious.”

 

“We need you two to stay up here in orbit and keep us posted on whats going on in the comm channels so we can stay alert.” Allura added.

 

“So not only do you want to go into conflict after you almost _died again_ , you want us to stay up _here_ , am I getting that correct?” Lance asked incredulously. 

 

“Look, I’m not going to let anything happen with her and we’re gonna lay low. I’ll contact you if we find I’ntayn.” 

* * *

“Wonder what this conflict is over.” Allura murmured after they landed, high in the mountains overlooking their supposed destination. She passed the binoculars to Sarah, allowing her to observe the fighting below. 

 

“I really cannot tell, it looks like it’s all natives. No Galra in sight. Maybe it’s-” 

 

Allura looked up when her friend froze. “What is it?”

 

Sarah wasn’t sure if she was just seeing things or what, but she could have sworn she saw…she scanned the area again, zooming in. She gasped. 

 

“Shiro, he’s here!” she almost yelled. 

 

“What?! Really?!?” 

 

“Yes, c’mon, let’s go!” Sarah said as she started tugging Allura towards the mountain path. 

 

“Okay, okay, we still have to be careful. And don’t get more than ten feet away from me, otherwise you’ll be out of my magic range, remember?” Allura said as the girls began running down the mountain side to the village below. 

 

They were out of breath by the time they reached the outskirts, slowing to catch their breath. 

 

“Where did you see him?” Allura panted. 

 

“He was kind of in the middle of all the fighting…”

 

Allura groaned. “Okay, stay slow and close.” she said, leading the way when her friend nodded. 

 

Luckily for them, most of the combatants were too busy to notice two strangers carefully sneaking their way to the heart of town. Allura only had to deal with one alien, easily taking him out while Sarah hid herself. After the assailant was taken care of she motioned for the girl to leave her hiding place and they continued. The further they went, the more chaotic it became. Allura grabbed Sarah’s hand at one point, holding her close as they ducked and maneuvered their way through the village. 

 

Suddenly, Sarah could feel his presence. Forgetting that she was supposed to be careful and stay near Allura, she took off, ignoring Allura’s shouting. He was here, and she was _so close_. She crossed through an open market and stopped at its edge, staring across the courtyard at her husband, who at that moment turned to face her, his eyes growing wide with disbelief.


	133. The Other Side of the Story

The robeast wasn’t difficult to take down. The team had improved greatly in their time together. What had once been four teenagers at odds with other was now a strong and effective team. Everyone’s bond with their Lions and each other were stronger than ever, and they were confident in their abilities.

 

Everyone, that is, except Shiro. 

 

He had been struggling with with coming to terms with his role as leader of the Paladins and the Head of Voltron ever since Allura first explained what Voltron was. He couldn’t shake the self doubt that he was tainted and ill-qualified. He still couldn’t remember the full extent of his time in Galra hands, but he knew he had done terrible things. He had tried to save Matt, but he couldn’t be sure if Matt was even safe or not. He couldn’t protect his Kerberos team then and he wasn’t sure if he could protect his Voltron team now. He couldn’t forgive himself for not doing more to save Sam and Matt. He had told himself he would not fail to protect his team from the Galra this time, but he was convinced he had multiple times. He still felt guilty over not being there to protect the other Paladins from the Greys. How could he lead them into battle knowing he can’t even protect them on everyday outings?

 

When they broke apart, he wanted to join in the other’s revelry. He closed his eyes, only for a second, to hide his insecurity behind a mask of confidence and pride in his team. It was only for a second.

 

When he next opened them, he found him on the peak of an icy mountain that looked down upon a valley and a mountain range, a cozy little village nestled up against the side. He panicked, standing up and looking around wildly, thinking he had been transported to another universe again. 

 

“Calm yourself, Paladin.” a voice said from behind him. He spun, his eyes falling on a [masked alien](http://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=http%3A%2F%2Fvombavr.deviantart.com%2Fart%2FPsyonic-Concept-484378670&t=NWJjZThlM2Q3N2FmMDdlNDk2MjBjYzdmZGJmNGNhN2YzNGYwOTA1YixJYnJwYjl0Tw%3D%3D&b=t%3AUp-8vRCgTYJDx5VxPdiFaA&p=http%3A%2F%2Fterezisexbuttpyrope.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F158378145000%2Fshiros-side&m=0) who casually approached him. “I understand this must come as quite a shock, but your Lion felt you needed my aid, so she sent you here.”

 

“Where’s ‘here’?” he asked, suspicious. 

 

“This is the planet Yemwium. It is known for its harsh climate and rocky terrain. The monastery where I live is just this way, if you’ll follow me.”

 

“Why would I do that?” 

 

“Because you want answers. Because your insecurity over your role as a Voltron Paladin has grown dramatically. Because the Black Lion is worried about you and so she sent you to me.” 

 

“But….who are you?”

 

“I am I’ntayn, a geomagic engineer from the long lost Vfaren empire. I helped the Alteans and Galra build the Lions of Voltron. The Lions call me…” she paused and smiled wistfully. “they call me mother.”

 

His eyes grew wide and he felt himself become speechless. 

 

“Now come, Takashi Shirogane. We begin immediately.” I’ntayn said as she turned and began walking down the mountain path. 

 

“I don’t understand, begin what?” he asked as he tentatively followed her. 

 

“We must aid you. The head of Voltron can only hide his insecurity and lack of self-confidence from his team for so long.” She stopped at flat spot in the path and gestured towards what looked like nothing. But as he focused, he saw that the air quivered slightly. “Please, step through this.” 

 

“Where does it go? And…aid how? Like train? How long is this going to take?” he said, unsure. 

 

“Are all humans like this? Full of queries but not offering room for the answers.” she laughed, amused. “Through this portal is the monastery where I live. You will receive the answers to your other questions there.” 

 

He hesitated. He needed to get back to his team, his family, his Sarah….But he couldn’t think of any other options he had at the moment. He took a careful step into the portal and gasped. The portal vortex was not unlike the wormholes Allura could make, albeit smaller and it gave him a strange, tingly feeling. And then he was out, on the other side. He gazed in awe at the monastery’s rough, warm stone, staring around unabashedly at the various other aliens going about their day to day life. 

 

“Takashi.” I’ntayn said from behind him. “Let me show you to your quarters.” 

 

“Just how long am I going to be here?” he asked as he followed her.

 

“I could not tell you, it depends on how long your….training….takes. Could be months. Could be years. Though I’m afraid there is some urgency. But I will address that later.”

 

“I can’t be here for months, I have to get back-”

 

“Right now, you belong here.” she said firmly, stopping at an ancient wooden door. “This is yours. You will find robes on the bed, I ask that you change into them.” She held up her hand as he was about to protest. “I will answer every question I can after you change and meet me in the meditation room. It is the large room at the end of this hall that will be empty except for me.” With that she turned and began walking off, leaving Shiro frustrated and confused. 

* * *

“Thank you for complying.” I’ntayn said after he had changed and entered the meditation room. “If you will just sit on the cushion across from me, I will answer what I can at this time.”

 

He sat down as he was instructed and scrutinised her for a long moment. “You say you will answer what you can. What do you mean.”

 

“I do not have all the answers you seek, and some answers I am not at liberty to divulge.”

 

“Why am I here?” 

 

“I told you. The Black Lion has sensed your ever growing insecurity over your worth and decided to take action. The Voltron Paladins must be in peak condition for Voltron to access its full power. Peak physical _and_ mental condition.”

 

Shiro opened his mouth to argue but fell silent, his gaze dropping to his hands. All that she said was true, and considering she had some kind of strong connection to the Black Lion, he imagined it was pointless to try and deny that he really did feel unworthy of his position. “What kind of training?” he asked after a quiet moment. 

 

“Meditating. Working with the villagers in various ways. Repeating mantras daily. And so on.” 

 

“I don’t….I….I guess I don’t understand how that’s supposed to help me?” 

 

“In time you will understand. Any more questions?”

 

“Yea…” he looked up, hopeful. “Can I contact my wife and the others?”

 

“I’m afraid not.” she said apologetically. “The Black Lion doesn’t want your training to inadvertently negatively affect the others. They look up to you, Shiro.” His gaze lowered again as he felt guilt pool in his stomach. So far, she was only validating his fears and insecurities, not lessening them. 

 

“Can I at least try to get something to my wife?” he asked, looking back up.

 

“I told you, the Bla-” 

 

“No, I know. But Sarah is liable to set out and try to find me. I don’t want her going on dangerous misadventures when I’m safe.”

 

“I don’t see how a human could track you here.” she said, chuckling as if the notion was absurd. 

 

“You’d be surprised. I’d rest easier if I knew she were staying with the others and not out on her own hunting me down.”

 

“I will speak with the Black Lion later tonight and ask, but I do not anticipate her answer changing.” 

 

Shiro nodded; he suspected that was as far as he was going to get with that subject. He switched gears. “How are you communicating with the Black Lion?”

 

“I told you, I helped make the Lions. It is not unusual for a Vfaren to forge a psychic link with their creation, if only for sentimental reasons. My link with the Black Lion is strongest, but I check in on the others from time to time.” 

 

“How can you be….that was over ten thousand years ago!” 

 

“Quintessence baths. An old and lost practise, generally only utilised by nobility. We made our own, with quintessence bought from some rather unsavoury sorts, but it is pure all the same.” 

 

They fell into a comfortable silence. Shiro found his mind buzzing with questions, but he couldn’t pull them apart to make them coherent. After a moment, I’ntayn spoke. “I think we will end this session. If you have any more questions I can address them after meditation. Please return to your quarters and sleep. I will wake you up early tomorrow.” 

 

Shiro nodded and together they rose to their feet. “Oh, one more thing,” he asked just as he was about to leave. “When I asked how long it would take, you said there was some urgency…..what did you mean?”

 

“I’m not entirely sure myself. But something grave is about to take place, and only Voltron can prevent it.” 

 

“How can you tell?”

 

“I have had ten thousand years to connect to the universe, Shiro.” she said with a patient smile. “To bed. I will see you in the morning.”

* * *

I’ntayn started him off with mantras, small phrases whose goal was to convince himself of his worth. She instructed him to repeat them daily at meals and when he first woke up and just before going to sleep. Shiro spent large portions of the days in the meditation room with her, focusing on his energy and what skills he had. Most of the time he was in the village, helping where he could as a sort of handyman. He enjoyed assisting the villagers as it kept his mind busy. 

 

But he could not ignore the growing discontent between the local villagers and the government that claimed the land as their own. 

 

“The Lord of this land lives in a jewel encrusted tower far away.” I’ntayn said one day when he asked about the tension. “He does not understand the people’s suffering. The only reason his army is so strong is because he takes care of them. Feeds them well.”

 

“But he never sends anyone here?” 

 

“Oh no. The monastery is hidden to all who bear ill will. It is protected by old magic. Not that he hasn’t tried.” she chuckled. 

 

“Can we do anything to help the villagers?” 

 

His mentor raised a curious eyebrow. “Can _you_ do anything to help the villagers?”

 

Her words stayed with him for a long time. Over the weeks he spoke with the villagers, gauging their thoughts, and came to the decision that it was time for a new government. 

 

“I will not stop you.” I’ntayn said when he confided in her. “But I must encourage you to not lead this yourself. Inspire, teach them, but do not be their leader. They must find that person amongst themselves.” 

 

He nodded slowly, thinking over her words carefully. It was true-he couldn’t be their leader. What would happen when he left? He was reminded of the time Sarah established a government and had them elect their own leaders. He doubted very much that the villagers would call him their “god king”. “Of course.” he said, smiling. 

 

He soon became very busy, his days split between helping out with everyday tasks, training the villagers in combat in secret, and his various training exercises with I’ntayn. He started to find himself feeling more confident and sure, his insecurities slowly fading from his memory. Every morning he repeated his mantras, and every night he repeated them again, before slipping into dreams of voltron and the village….and Sarah. 

 

He missed her desperately. His first several nights he found he could not sleep. He had grown accustomed to having her with him, he struggled to sleep with her absence. Though he soon adapted, he never stopped thinking about her. She was his first thought in the morning just before his eyes opened, and his last thought at night just as he closed his eyes. He told I’ntayn stories about Sarah and his family when there was time. Others would often gather around, enjoying his stories. He learned overtime that they rarely left the monastery, having no form of spacecraft themselves. The only story that really shocked I’ntayn was the one about the White Lion. 

 

“How can they have built a Lion? I don’t understand…I hid my notes long ago….” she commented, frowning in her confusion. 

 

“Pidge and Hunk used material and blueprints found in the castle. She’s a small Lion, to be sure…”

 

I’ntayn shook her head in disbelief. “I thought I told Alfor to destroy all blueprints and notes. And….who….ah, this is most unusual. The spirit dwelling inside the craft, who was she?”

 

“She was a dragon Sarah met in ah….some system where the planets are made of gems or something.”

 

“The Aywei system?!”

 

“Yea, that’s it. Why….?” 

 

“…Nothing, let’s get back to your training.”

 

Shiro frowned but decided not to push it at the moment. He would inquire further when he didn’t have a rebellion to assist on the horizon. 

 

The morning of the uprising found him out of bed before the sun rose, as he wanted to squeeze in a workout before he had to engage in the coming battle. He had taught the villagers all he could, thinking back to his Garrison days, and insisted they lead. He would be in the thick of things, helping the villagers fight the soldiers, but he was determined not to lead the effort or be their hero. They needed to learn to defend and fight and take care of themselves, as he wasn’t going to be on Yemwium for much longer. Of that he was sure of. 

 

After checking in with the village leaders, he positioned himself in the market where he had been stationed. The plan was to draw the soldiers in and surround them, hopefully breaking off any means of escape. Shiro couldn’t help but beam proudly, as he hadn’t even suggested the strategy, the village leaders thought it up. It was a good, solid strategy and he was sure they were going to be victorious. 

 

Of course as soon as the fighting began everything descended into chaos. The villagers held their own, and soon outnumbered the soldiers. He was proud of their progress and was certain that they’d be able to keep themselves free for many years to come.

 

He was in the thick of things, still in the market, when he felt a familiar presence. He immediately turned, staring across the courtyard at his wife, who stared back with her beautiful, large eyes.


	134. Reunite

Ignoring the chaos around them, Shiro and Sarah ran for each other. They collided on a small hill, holding each other tightly and crying. 

 

“You’re okay, you’re okay..” she repeated to herself.

 

“I’m fine.” he said, pulling her into a deep kiss. He couldn’t fathom how she had found him, but he didn’t care, not then. 

 

Someone approached them from behind her and she pulled the gun he had out of its holster and turned halfway, glaring. “Go away, we’re busy.” she growled to their would-be attacked. The alien back away slowly, hands in the air, and Sarah returned to him. 

 

“I can’t believe you’re here.” he said breathlessly. “How did you-Sarah?” he asked, suddenly alarmed. She was having trouble breathing and her legs were shaking.

 

“O-oh fuck, I left Allura…” she said weakly, before collapsing against him. 

 

“What-?! Where’s Allura?” he asked frantically, picking her up bridal style. 

 

“She’s…ah…” Sarah murmured before falling unconscious. 

 

Luckily Allura came running up to them just then. “Oh Shiro, good you’re oka-shit shit she got too far from me!”

 

“Allura what’s going on?!” he almost yelled, confused and scared and worried beyond belief. 

 

“I can fill you in later, just not now, we need to get her somewhere safe, away from this fighting.” 

 

Shiro nodded seriously and gestured with his head for her to follow him before taking off. He easily skirted around the rebels until they reached an underground tunnel. “There’s a hidden portal here that leads to the monastery.”

 

“Is it just open to everyone?” Allura asked, alarmed. 

 

“They have a spell that prevents people who have violent or negative intentions from passing, otherwise, yes.” 

 

He passed through quickly, the now familiar tingly feeling causing Allura to gasp, and they were in the ancient monastery which was hidden deep within the mountains. He made a beeline for the hospital, knowing I’ntayn would meet them there. She had become very sensitive to his energy in the past couple months and it proved convenient more often than not. 

 

Sure enough, his mentor was waiting for them beside a freshly prepared healing table. “What happened to her?” she asked as he gently laid Sarah on its dark wooden surface. 

 

“We ran into some druids, they-they-” Turning, Shiro found Allura holding herself and trying to fight back tears. Shiro’s knuckles were white as he gripped the edge of the table, trying to suppress his rising panic. 

 

“Hmm yes this is Dark Magic alright.” I’ntayn murmured as she quickly went to work. Turning back to the table, Shiro stepped back as the air around Sarah began to glow, pulsing between gold, white, and lavender, with spots of black flitting throughout. “How long ago?”

 

“T-two months, I think.” 

 

“Mmm. I’m surprised she survived.” I’ntayn said as she worked; Shiro felt his stomach do a sickening flip. “Oh, I understand now, she is a White Witch.”

 

“Can you-can you help her?” he asked, his voice quivering. 

 

“Of course I can. Nothing can be done for the scar tissue, I’m afraid. But once I extract the Black Magic here, we only need to put her in a quintessence bath and she’ll be fine.” 

 

“Oh-oh thank god.” Allura gasped, falling to her knees in relief as the tension left her body. 

 

He knelt down next to her, intending to place a comforting hand on her shoulder but he found his were shaking terribly. “Allura, please…” he begged softly. “Tell me everything.” The Altean’s wide, worried eyes met his and she nodded. 

* * *

“I c-can’t believe I almost lost her again….” he murmured in shock when Allura finished. He looked up as I’ntayn hummed and rose to his feet. 

 

“To the bath. Until she wakes.” his mentor said as she stepped away from the table, the glow fading. 

 

Shiro carefully lifted his wife into his arms again and led the way to the quintessence baths. 

 

“So…so what do we do?” Allura asked uncertainly when they reached the room. The baths looked like hot springs full of clear, yellow water; a slight shimmer gave away the liquid’s true identity. 

 

“I’m going to go in with her, she doesn’t need to be fully submerged but just enough…” he trailed off, walking down the steps and into the warm liquid. The deepest the pools got was about five or six feet, gently sloping from the stairs to the deepest part. He stopped about halfway, allowing Sarah to float on her back in the quintessence. He immediately noticed her breathing relaxed and became steady, her skin regained its colour, she was healing….

 

“I’m sorry, Shiro.” Allura said after a while. “I should’ve insisted she not go, or we take a different course of action or…” she trailed off, at a loss of what else to say.

 

“No…no, when Sarah makes up her mind it’s better to go along with it, at least to make sure she doesn’t get in over her head. Honestly, I want to say thank you. If she had been alone, she wouldn’t be-you took care of her-” he started crying, his sobs echoing in the cave-like chamber. “I never want to leave her side again, not even for the sake of the universe.” he said determinedly, pulling Sarah closer. He turned slightly as he heard Allura step into the bath. “I love her so much…” he cried softly. 

 

“I know you do.” Allura said gently. “And she loves you.”

 

He smiled softly. “Don’t I know it.” Shiro chuckled. “She’d move heaven and earth for me-literally.” Allura laughed. “You know she could do it!” 

 

“Oh I do. She can pack quite the punch.” 

 

Shiro sighed and they fell into a comfortable silence, watching and waiting for Sarah to wake. They didn’t have to wait long. 

 

“Shiro?” she asked sleepily as she began to stir. 

 

“Hey, princess.” he murmured, helping her to right herself.

 

“Where…where are we? Is this quintessence?” Sarah ran her hand through the slightly glowing liquid. 

 

“Yea. How are you feeling?” 

 

“Better than I have in months, holy shit.” she said, laughing slightly. “I can see why people wanna get in on this so bad.”  

 

“I’m so relieved you’re better.” Allura said, tears springing to her eyes. “I was so worried and there was only so much I could do-” 

 

Sarah cut her off with a hug, surprising the Altean for a second. “You saved my life dude. I should have listened to you with the hoverbike racing, I’m really sorry I didn’t.” 

 

“Everything’s okay now.” Allura said, hugging her friend tightly. “Oh, crap!”

 

“What?” Sarah and Shiro asked together, concerned.

 

“I forgot Keith and Lance were orbiting and waiting for word from us, I’m gonna go call them.” She trudged out of the bath, running out and down the hall. 

 

“I’m sorry I got so reckless…” Sarah said sheepishly, turning to Shiro. 

 

“Everything’s okay now…” he murmured, caressing her cheek and sliding his other hand around her back as he gently tugged her to him. “It would be nice if you could work on it though. I’d sleep better.” He kissed her softly, then deeply; he had forgotten how lost he could get in her lips. 

 

“I’ll do my best.” she whispered after a moment, as they rested their foreheads against each other. “I just missed you so much….we didn’t know what happened or where you had gone….”

 

“I know, I know….I’m going to have to talk to the Black Lion. Her intentions were good, but….” he shook his head. “That’s all in the past now. We’re together now. And,” he added, a hint of a smile in his tone of voice. “I think you’ve successfully proven that not even a legendary super weapon can keep us apart.” He grinned widely as she giggled and threw her arms around his neck, pulling herself up and kissing him again. 


	135. Grave Event

Shiro woke early from habit. He didn’t move immediately, savouring the quiet moment as Sarah slept soundly in his arms. He was so blissfully happy to be reunited with her didn’t want to leave, but he had responsibilities to take care of. He had left the villagers in the middle of their rebellion; he needed to check in to make sure things had gone according to plan. 

 

After a moment longer, he gently kissed her forehead before very carefully extracting himself. He made a small note explaining where he was going and what he was doing, adding that he hoped to be back before she woke. He ended it with “love, Shiro”, and carefully slipped it in her half-closed extended hand. 

* * *

Sarah panicked for half a second when she woke and noticed Shiro’s absence, but she smiled as she read and reread the little note he left for her. She made  a mental note to ask about the rebellion when he got back.

 

A soft knock at the door drew her attention. “Come in.” she said, yawning as she grabbed her glasses and slipped them on. 

 

“Did I wake you?” Allura asked, cringing slightly from the doorway.

 

“No.” Sarah laughed, slipping out of bed and changing. She didn’t mind Allura’s presence anymore while she undressed and redressed; the two months in her friend’s care erased what reservations she once had. “Did you need something specific?” 

 

“No, I was heading to breakfast and thought I’d check in…”

 

“I’ll join you, let me just grab my phone.”

 

The girls chatted happily on their way to breakfast, meeting up with Lance and Keith on their way. When they arrived, I’ntayn waved them over, gesturing to the empty seats at the table where she was seated. When they reached it Sarah and the Paladins sat, but Allura hung back, staring at I’ntayn as if she had seen a ghost. 

 

“Allura, what-?” Sarah began, before I’ntayn gasped.

 

“Allura?” she asked, rising. “Princess Allura? Alfor’s daughter?”

 

“Yes…” the Altean said slowly.

 

“By all the stars…..It’s me, Sinshin.” I’ntayn said with a laugh. 

 

Allura gasped. “But-how-I thought-?” 

 

“The Galra couldn’t get all the Vfarens.” she said grimly. “I was off world when the attack began.” 

 

“But your name?”

 

“My elders thought better I adopt an Altean name while I helped make the Lions. My real name is I’ntayn.” The two sat down across from each other, still surprised. “How did you survive ten thousand years?”

 

“Cryo sleep. In the castle. We woke when the Blue Lion returned with the new Paladins.”

 

“We? So Alfor survived, too?”

 

“Ah…” Allura’s face fell. “Unfortunately, no, I don’t think so. You remember Coran? He woke soon after I did.”

 

“I’m so sorry.” I’ntayn said softly, reaching across the table and grasping the Princess’s hand and squeezing it. Allura smiled appreciatively. 

 

“So…you helped make the Lions?” Lance asked after a moment. 

 

“Yes, I did. That reminds me,” I’ntayn turned her attention to Sarah. “Shiro said you have a White Lion. How is that possible?” 

 

“Oh um….Pidgey and Hunk found blueprints and stuff in the castle and set about making a Lion. And then when my mentor was about to die, she transferred her life force to it.”

 

“And she was once a dragon? From the Aywei system?”

 

“Yea…?”

 

“Has she merged with the others to form Voltron?” 

 

“No. I don’t think she can but we haven’t ever tried.” Sarah answered with a shrug. 

 

“Hmmmm….” I’ntayn mused, lost in thought. 

 

“Hey, Shiro’s back!” Keith announced, jumping up and running to his brother. Sarah eagerly stood up, pausing a second to take another bite from her donut (how they had donuts here she didn’t know), before jogging over. “I missed you, man.” Keith said as the brothers embraced. 

 

“I missed you, too.” Shiro said before releasing Keith and playfully punching his arm. The Red Paladin backed away slightly as Sarah lept into Shiro’s arms and he spun her around once, the two giggling as they kissed. “Where’s everyone else?” he asked as they walked back to the table. 

 

“Still in the castle, I suppose.” Sarah answered, reclaiming her spot. Shiro sat next to her, his left arm securely wrapped around her waist. “I had told these two to stay as well, to keep up appearances, but they didn’t listen.” She laughed as Lance stuck his tongue at her.

 

“Hey, you’re the ones that went radio silent for a month!” Keith replied, almost irritably. 

 

“Darling’s comms were down, sue me.” 

 

Shiro chuckled at their banter, kissing Sarah’s head before starting on breakfast. 

 

“Speaking of, did you two manage to get a message out?” Allura asked. 

 

“Yea. They should be here later today.” Lance answered as he buttered toast. 

 

“The castle is coming _here_?!” I’ntayn asked, aghast. “You have to tell them not to, please!”

 

“Why?” 

 

“This planet is reclusive and hidden from the Galra, but it won’t be if the giant Altean castle shows up in its orbit!” 

 

“On it!” Sarah said as she pulled out her phone and began texting her sister. 

 

“How can you have service _here_?” Lance asked in disbelief.

 

“Boy, please, I have service everywhere.” she said as she finished. “Okay, done. So we just call them up when we’re ready to go.” 

 

“When do we leave?” Lance asked, stretching. “Not that this place isn’t nice, but….”

 

Sarah looked to Shiro as he looked to his mentor. “I believe you are ready.” she said with a smile. “And just in time. The grave event I told you about is near.” 

 

“Do you know where it will take place?” he asked seriously.

 

“The Aywei system.” I’ntayn answered grimly. 

* * *

“Sarah, what’s the hurry, it’s just a planetary system, we’ll get there in time.” Lance said as he and the others followed Sarah to their respective ships. 

 

“It’s not _just_ a system!” she said, slightly franticly. “It’s home to the greatest concentration of quintessence energy in the universe. If anything happens to those planets the very universe could fall to pieces!”

 

“Oh, come on, don’t be so dramatic-”

 

“She’s not being dramatic.” I’ntayn said. “The very fabric of reality quivers anxiously, knowing what could come to pass. I now fear not even Voltron will be enough.”

 

“Is that why you’re coming with us?” Allura asked. 

 

“Mostly I’d like to meet the White Lion and those who built her. But yes, I will aid as I can.” 

 

“Coran said he can open a wormhole for us, we just need to tell him when.” 

 

“Let’s get going then.” Keith said fiercely. 


	136. Forces Unite

“What’s the Blade doing here?” Keith asked after everyone on the castle welcomed Shiro back home. They were now gathered in the control room, where three Galra from the Blade of Mamora had waited for them. 

 

“And several leaders from Unipeace.” Coran said, nodding to the other aliens. 

 

“Quite the party we’ve come back to.” Sarah murmured as Shiro nodded in agreement. 

 

“Our sources have informed us that Zarkon intends to take the Aywei system by any means necessary. We believe Haggar has filled him in on the strange properties of the system and for reasons we aren’t clear on, he wants it.” one of the aliens from Unipeace said. 

 

“He wants the planets because they are giant crystals and are the missing piece of Voltron’s creation that he has been missing for ten millennia.” the middle Galra said. 

 

“He wants to recreate Voltron?!” Allura gasped, horrified. 

 

“We must combine forces.” another member of Unipeace said. “Unipeace has amassed a sizeable armada. We can defend the planetary system from Zarkon’s forces, but we cannot defend against his command ship or Haggar’s robeasts.” 

 

“Voltron can handle that, no sweat.” Lance said confidently. 

 

“That’s the hope.” the alien nodded. “Our armada is already in place, we need only meet them there.” 

 

“We’re ready to be on our way.” Allura said firmly, taking her place at the controls. 

 

“What will the Blade do?” Sarah asked curiously. 

 

“Working with Unipeace high command. We have briefed them on standard Galra invasion tactics and will advise them in real time.” 

 

“Damn.” Sarah murmured, eyes wide. “Gone for two months and everyone gets chummy.” 

 

“The fate of the universe is at stake.” one of the Galra said seriously. “We haven’t any time to waste.” 

 

“Sarah…” I’ntayn asked, pulling the girl aside as everyone dispersed to prepare for battle. “Could you introduce me to your Lion?” 

 

“Of course.”

* * *

“Amazing….” the Vfaren murmured in awe. “Simply amazing! It’s a pleasure to meet you, my dear.” White lowered her head in acknowledgement, tilting it curiously. “Oh….ah. Curious.” 

 

“What’s curious?” Sarah asked, looking between the two mentors. 

 

I’ntayn reached up and rested her hand against White’s nose before looking back at Sarah and Shiro. “White has a surprise for you all.” she said, a broad grin adorning her face. 


	137. Prepare for Battle

“Why won’t she just tell us already?” Lance asked irritably. Word had spread that White had a surprise in store for the team, but whatever it was, neither she nor I’ntayn were spilling the beans. 

 

“I don’t know.” Sarah said, rather amused. “I’m sure she has her reasons though. In the meantime, we have a battle to prepare for.” 

 

The castle had reached the Aywei system a few days prior. Allura, Coran, Shiro, and Sarah had been in meetings almost constantly with Unipeace and the Blade of Mamora, coordinating their defense of the precious system. Unipeace was prepared to deploy their fleet at a moment’s notice and the Blade had been schooling them on Galra strategies day and night. It was decided that they would not immediately form Voltron, wanting to save their big gun for Zarkon’s central command ship and whatever robeast, if any, he brought with him. Sarah would be out in White along with the other Paladins and their corresponding Lions, attacking Galra ships and assisting the Unipeace armada as needed. Krisox had called in some of his men, honouring the agreement he had made with Sarah months ago. 

 

“Oh yea,” Sarah said as she and Krisox were discussing it. “Everything’s been so all over the place I never got to ask. You’re on speaking terms with mom and dad again?” 

 

“Well you’re like ten thousand years late.” he teased. “Yea, I uh…..we worked things out.” he said with a shrug. “We’re a happy little family again.” He smiled when she play shoved him. 

 

“It’s good they left for Stiea K2.” she said softly after a moment. Their parents and Kayla had left for their home planet the day before with the children. It had been agreed that that was the best course of action for the group, as a massive space battle was no place for children. 

 

“Yea…they’ll be safe there, even they don’t go to the Deep Slums.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“With the combined efforts of the Lost Girls, the freed prisoners, and Unipeace, Stiea K2 is almost back to its former glory. It’s become Unipeace’s new headquarters.”

 

“Is that smart?” she asked, concerned. “Puts a rather large target on our home.”

 

“You really haven’t grasped how big Unipeace has gotten, have you?” Krisox chuckled. “It and Voltron are the Galra’s biggest threats. And they’re teaming up. Zarkon won’t know what hit em.” 

 

Krisox joined some of the later meetings with the others, to coordinate his small-but formidable-forces with the rest of the defensive force. He had brought his biggest tanks to protect the other forces and serve as battering rams. 

 

“Are you scared?” Shiro asked softly one night as he and Sarah were laying down to go to sleep. 

 

“Well I mean, yea….” she said with a small shrug. “It’d be foolish not to be scared.” 

 

Shiro smiled and caressed her face as he pulled her closer to his chest. “You can be so wise.” he murmured, kissing her forehead. “Just stay close to me, okay? Stay by my side.” 

 

“I’ll do my damndest. Things are bound to get chaotic…oh, and,” she added, pulling away so she could see his face. “White’s learned a few tricks. She can turn invisible and create a few copies of herself.”

 

“Is that the surprise I’ntayn told us about?”

 

“I don’t think so, honestly. White was real cagey about some things when we were talking before.”

 

“Do you have any ideas what it might be?”

 

“The only one I keep circling back to is….her joining the formation of Voltron. But I really don’t see how that could be it.”

 

“Why not?”

 

“It just seems too….huge. Voltron is basically a god, and we aren’t sure how all that works anyway….I just don’t see how we can add to it.” 

 

Shiro smiled, his eyes twinkling. “I’ve seen people pull off far more impossible-sounding feats before. I’ve come to believe anything’s possible.”

 

“Do you also believe as many as six impossible things before breakfast?” Sarah asked, giggling. 

 

“Yes, I do!” he chuckled, sharing a kiss before they got comfortable and fell asleep. 


	138. The Surprise

Zarkon’s armada arrived a few days later. 

 

“Remember.” Shiro murmured as he and Sarah embraced. “Stay close to me. Promise?” 

 

“Of course.” she said confidently. 

 

The Paladins and Sarah were to split into three teams of two, focusing their attacks on command ships and leaving the smaller gliders for the Unipeace fleet. 

 

“Stay close to your partner, watch each other’s backs out there.” he said to the team at large. “Don’t take any unnecessary risks. We need to be ready to form Voltron at a moment’s notice.” 

 

“Shiro, what should I do when you guys form Voltron?” Sarah asked as they walked to their respective Lions. 

 

“Just keep attacking command ships. Stay close to the castle and Unipeace.” 

 

“Okay, sounds like a plan.”

* * *

“That’s my girl!” Shiro said proudly over comms as Sarah left a destroyed Galra ship in her wake. All the White clones that had been circling the ship disappeared. Sarah giggled in response as she looped around, disappearing. Suddenly claw marks appeared out of nowhere on another Galra ship, explosions rocking it. Shiro flew in just then, the Black Lion tearing it asunder. The White Lion reappeared then, flying beside the Black. 

 

“Head’s up, princess.” he said as several of the larger Galra ships approached them. 

 

“Right.” Sarah said, a hint of a smile in her voice. Suddenly there were two dozen clones of the White Lion, flying in such a flurry that it became hard for the Galra to see the Black Lion. 

 

Until it was too late, that is. 

 

“Don’t over exert yourself or White, Sarah.” Shiro cautioned as the Galra ships exploded in his wake. 

 

“We’re fine for a good long while.” she said confidently. She smiled as White reached out to Shiro, confirming Sarah’s words. 

 

“Shiro, something big is incoming.” Allura said from the castle. “It might be time to form Voltron.” 

 

“You heard the Princess, group up, Paladins!” Shiro said. “Sarah, hang back by the castle.” 

 

“Roger that.” Sarah responded, making to loop around and fly to the castle. But White had other plans. “Oh-uh, Shiro? You remember when we were talking about White’s surprise?”

 

“Yea….?”

 

“Yea….looks like your guess was right on the money..”

 

“No way, really?” 

 

“What? What is it?” Lance asked eagerly.

 

“But will it work?” Shiro asked as he and the Paladins grouped up.

 

“I guess we’re going to find out?” Sarah answered, slightly unsure. 

 

“Is now really the time though…?”

 

“White says it is.”

 

“What is it?!” Lance asked again, slightly annoyed now. “Wait-Sarah, why are you flying to us.” 

 

“I’ll give you two guesses.” Sarah teased. 

 

“No fuckin way….”

 

“Is that really possible?!” Allura asked, alarmed. 

 

Before Sarah had a chance to respond, she and the Paladins had begun the transformation. It was strange, connecting with the other Paladins and their Lions, but also felt natural. 

 

“Whoa….” she commented when they finished. “Awww, babe, I’ve got your back!” she said, laughing. 

 

“The White Lion looks kind of like a shield on Voltron’s back!” Allura said in astonishment. 

 

“We already have a shield though…” Pidge interjected, confused. 

 

“White projects a….sort of a particle barrier, but it’s invisible most of the time.” Sarah said as her Lion relayed information to her. 

 

“Extra defense is good.” Shiro commented. 

 

“Is that all?” Lance asked, disappointed. 

 

“Lance, that is still amazing.” Allura chided. 

 

“Yeah, something Hunk and I built from scratch has joined Voltron, the most powerful weapon in the universe.” Pidge said, slightly offended. 

 

“And she says that’s not all she can bring to the table.” Sarah added. 

 

“Like what?” Keith asked. 

 

“We’ll have to find out later, look who’s joining the party.” Shiro said as Zarkon’s main command ship came into view. “Get ready team.” 

 

Though Sarah couldn’t see it for herself from her back-facing position, White had an overlay that shared what the Black Lion saw. Sarah gasped slightly when White communicated with her. “Oh no…” she whispered gravely. “Hey I’m gonna zap out front, I need you to have Voltron mirror my movements exactly.” she instructed. 

 

“Sarah, what-?” Shiro started to ask, but she was already outside, hovering in front of Voltron’s face. “Sarah, what are you doing, get back in your Lion!” 

 

“Mirror my movements, we don’t have time to argue!” she said, her tone slightly frantic. “We’re going to focus quintessence energy so that we can use it.” She held her arms out straight, her palms facing away, parallel to her body. She waited until Voltron mimicked her before moving to the next step. She brought her hands together, one pointing up, the other down, the base of her palms stacked on the other. After Voltron demonstrated that, she swung the hand pointing down up as though it were on a hinge until her palms were together. “Okay, now focus on your energy. Centralise it. Good. Slowly draw the palms apart-very slowly!-okay, good.” she said, relieved as a large, glowing white orb appeared between the giant robot’s hands. In the blink of an eye she was back in White’s pilot seat. 

 

“Haggar’s firing up that evil thing of hers, get out of there!” Allura cried out.  

 

“No, don’t move!” Sarah ordered. “We move and the system is lost. How big is the orb?”

 

“About as big as Voltron’s head.” Shiro answered.

 

“I think that’ll be enough, okay, smush it between Voltron’s hands and then draw the hands apart like you’re framing a video. Then you’ll want palms forward, and brace yourselves, cause it’s gonna get rough.”

 

“I hope this works…” Keith said uncertainly as they did as she instructed. 

 

“It’ll work.” Shiro said confidently. 

 

Sarah watched anxiously as a quintessence barrier was formed, just as Haggar fired a huge black bolt of Black Magic. When it hit the barrier it rebound, scattering and hitting Galra ships all over. Voltron was knocked back by the initial blow, but with increased effort they managed to push back, holding out until the magic died down. 

 

“Okay,” Sarah said, panting slightly. “Draw the sword. White wants to destroy that circle of Haggar’s for good.” 

 

“Form sword!” Shiro ordered. 

 

Sarah felt energy course through her and her Lion as the sword was formed, feeling White direct the magical energy to the sword and imbuing it with White Magic. 

 

Suddenly they were right beneath it, having teleported in wisps of smoke. They had already started flying towards it, sword drawn, and immediately after White teleported Voltron they stabbed Haggar’s Black Magic circle. There was a pause, where time seemed to freeze, before an enormous black and white explosion rocked Zarkon’s ship and sent them flying, tumbling away. 

 

“Paladins! Sarah!!” Allura cried through the comms. “Are you okay?! What happened??” 

 

“We’re….we’re fine….” Shiro groaned. “Right everyone? Sarah?”

 

“Yea, I’m good.” Sarah said amidst the other Paladins confirming their well-being. 

 

“I think we successfully destroyed Haggar’s weird circle. Sarah, does that mean she can’t do large-scale magic anymore?” Shiro asked. 

 

“I believe so, yea!” Sarah said happily as White confirmed it. “Unless she has something else that let’s her do large-scale magic…” she trailed off uneasily. 

 

“Paladins-and Sarah- _Voltron_ , there is something large departing from Zarkon’s ship, I fear it might be a robeast.” Allura said cautiously. “Will you be able to face it?”

 

“I’m not sure,” Shiro admitted worriedly. “That was pretty rough. But Voltron’s the only one who _can_.” 

 

“We’ll assist you in whatever ways we can.” Allura assured him confidently. 

 

“I hope it’ll be enough.” 

 

“Uh oh….we have movement from _behind_ us as well.”

 

“Behind us….?” Sarah murmured curiously. White’s HUD focused on a point just past the castle and zoomed in. Emerging around the planets were what seemed like hundreds of shimmering ribbons flowing along in a breeze, flying towards them. “It….can’t be….can it?” 

 

“Sarah, what is it?” Shiro asked. 

 

“Dragons!” 


	139. Dragons

“Dragons?” Allura asked in shock. “There are more?!”

 

“Yea, White says they were dormant, but more recent events have woken them up. They’re here to help!” Sarah answered excitedly. 

 

“They’re timing couldn’t be better. Look what the cat dragged in.” Shiro said grimly. 

 

“More like what Cthulhu dragged in.” Sarah commented as the tentacle robeast came into view. 

 

“More like what the hentai dragged in.” Lance joked, making the other Paladins and Sarah groan. 

 

“What’s Cthulhu? What’s hentai?” Coran asked, confused, making Lance snort. 

 

“We don’t have time for that.” Allura said curtly. 

 

“Sword and shield!” Shiro commanded. 

 

As they fought the beast, trying to slice off its tentacles only to find they grew back almost instantly, Sarah kept an eye on Zarkon’s ship. It hadn’t seemed to recover as quickly as Voltron had, and she found it curious that the robeast had only made an appearance _after_ they wrecked Haggar’s circle. 

 

“Oh my goodness, look at all the dragons!” Allura said in awe as fifty or so dragons reached them, surrounding Voltron and the castle. 

 

“White says they’re going to lend us some power. Get ready, and try to stab the beast in the heart.” Sarah informed the team, redirecting the magical energy from the particle barrier to the sword. Just as she felt the dragon’s energy course through her and her Lion and Voltron, she saw Zarkon’s vessel begin to drift away, easing into full speed as they left the system. “Zarkon’s leaving. That’s probably a good sign, yea?” 

 

“Considering our goal was protecting the system from him, yes, I’d say it’s a good sign.” Allura answered. 

 

Sarah nodded, turning her attention back to the battle with the robeast. Voltron’s sword was fully charged and seemed to be crackling with electricity. The Paladins were putting their all into their attack, and Sarah worked in tandem with White to keep the magic focused in the blade. “Brace yourselves!” she warned when they stabbed the creature. The sword plunged deep, and she knew they wouldn’t have time to pull out and get away before the robeast exploded. She quickly diverted the magic from the blade to the particle barrier, barely succeeding in getting it up before the creature burst. The explosion sent them flying back a ways, rocking Voltron, but they were otherwise unharmed. 

 

“Good job, team!” Allura said, relieved and overjoyed with their victory. “Unipeace is wrapping up, it seems the rest of the Galra forces have retreated with Zarkon.”

 

“Okay, let’s get back to the castle.” Shiro said, as the team broke off, each Lion flying back to the castle. “Sarah, you doing okay?” he asked as he flew alongside her. 

 

“Yea just….exhausted….” she said wearily. 

 

He landed in the hanger first, running over anxiously as White landed and opened her jaw to let him in. Sarah was relieved; she felt more tired and drained than she ever had before. 

 

“Hey, I gotcha.” Shiro said softly, picking her up bridal style out of her seat. 

 

“She okay?” Keith asked as Shiro carried her out. 

 

“Just tired….” Sarah murmured, laying her head against her husband’s shoulder and slipping off to sleep. 

 

When she woke, she found herself in Shiro’s arms in their bed. 

 

“Hey, how are you feeling?” Allura asked from the foot of their bed. 

 

“I mean, groggy, cause I just woke up, but otherwise fine.” Sarah answered dryly, making Shiro and Allura chuckle. “Are the dragons still around?” 

 

“Yes. We’re on the planet where we met White. They say they want to meet you.” 

 

“Oh…” Sarah said softly, her eyes wide as she sat up. “That’s a bit daunting.” 

* * *

Sarah, Allura, Krisox, and Shiro met the dragons by the crystal clear lake just beyond the valley. White settled on the beach comfortably. Sarah noticed she seemed to be communicating psychically with a few of the dragons that rested near her, and she wondered if she was reconnecting with her family. 

 

“ _Little White Witch._ ” the largest and seemingly oldest dragon said as Sarah and her group approached the water’s edge. The creature looked like the dragon version of a willow tree, all wispy, his whiskers flowing gracefully in the breeze. Sarah could have sworn that he had no discernible edge; the elder dragon seemed to blend into the environment, as though he wasn’t entirely solid.  “ _You have done so much for the good of the universe. A thousand lifetimes would not be enough to repay you._ ” 

 

“Oh, I-I mean….” she stammered, blushing. The dragon nodded, smiling slightly. 

 

“ _We called you four before us because we sensed you to have the most experience with your magical abilities amongst your current party. I am afraid we have more we must ask of you._ ” 

 

“Wait-I don’t have any magical abilities.” Shiro interjected, confused. 

 

“ _Oh, but you do. They lie dormant most hours. Yet they surfaced from time to time._ ”

 

“I don’t-” Shiro began.

 

Sarah gasped, cutting him off, as White shared her epiphany with her White Paladin. “You’re arm!” 

 

“What about it? It’s Galra tech.” 

 

“ _While that is true, the way you use it is with deeply tucked away Altean magic that runs in your veins._ ”

 

“I’m sorry?” her husband asked, shocked. “Altean magic?”

 

“Shiro’s part Altean?” Allura asked in disbelief. 

 

“ _Yes. It is deeply hidden, heavily overshadowed by his human bloodline, but yes, Shiro has Altean blood in him._ ” 

 

“Whoa….” Krisox commented. 

 

“That’s so cool, babe!” Sarah said excitedly, jumping up and down. 

 

“ _As I was saying._ ” the elder dragon said patiently. “ _I’m afraid there is more we must ask of you. Niruth-ah-White, has told us that your sister collected an ancient power correct? And you also collected texts from the temple?_ ”

 

“Yes…” Sarah answered, her eyes darting all over the other dragons curiously. 

 

“ _We hope to meet her as well. And we can help you with the texts if you bring them to us._ ”

 

“Sure thing.” she said brightly. 

 

“ _Now, if possible._ ” 

 

“Oh-well, Kayla is on our home planet right now….but I could run back and get the texts….”

 

“ _Yes please. And then i must ask to speak with you alone._ ”

 

“Um….okay….” she said uncertainly, retreating from the water’s edge to return to the castle.


	140. What the Future Holds

“Hey, there you are. How’d the talk go?” Shiro asked as he climbed to the top of the hill where Sarah was leaning against a giant crystal. “Did the dragons help with the texts at all?” He frowned as he got closer, slowing. Sarah had her arms around herself tightly and she hadn’t turned to greet him. “Princess?” he asked softly. “What’s wrong?” Coming up beside her, he slid his right hand around her back and with his left eased her around so she was facing him. Though she was avoiding his gaze, he could tell she had been crying. “Baby, what is it?” 

 

“They….they said….” she began, pausing to take a deep breath to steady herself. “They’re afraid that Haggar is too powerful to kill. They said that the only way to save the universe is to contain her in a crystal prison. It’s ancient, powerful magic, it requires a great deal of concentrated energy a-and….” She began crying again, resting her hands and forehead against his chest. “It requires a sa-sac-sacri…” she sobbed. 

 

He felt his blood run cold as a heavy sense of foreboding filled him, sinking into the pit of his stomach. “No.” he whispered in disbelief and denial. “ _No_.” She sank to her knees and he followed, kneeling and still holding her as her tears soaked his shirt. “We’ll find another way. Something else.” he insisted firmly. 

 

“I’m scared, Shiro,” she cried, her arms around his neck now as she held him tightly, burying her face in his shoulder. 

 

His arms tightened around her middle and shoulders. “I won’t let it happen.” he said fiercely. “I swear to you, we will find another way.” He pulled back, caressing her cheek. “I _swear_.” She sobbed harder as she nodded, pulling him in for a kiss. 

* * *

“It’s out of the question.” Shiro said firmly as he stood before the elder dragon. “No one is sacrificing their life, there has got to be another way.” 

 

“ _I am afraid there is not._ ” the ancient dragon said grimly and patiently. 

 

“We will find another way.” Shiro insisted, holding his ground. 

 

“My sister is not dying for you or anyone else.” Krisox snarled angrily. 

 

“ _The entirety of the universe is at stake-_ ”

 

“I don’t care!” her brother yelled.

 

“Sarah is my universe.” Shiro said dangerously, arms crossed firmly across his chest as he glared at the elder dragon. “And you are not taking her from me. We will find another way and you will comply with it.” 

 

“ _She is one of the strongest white magic users the universe has ever seen. If she does not aide us, all is lost._ ” 

 

“I will do whatever I have to do to save my wife. And no one-not you, not Haggar, not the Guardians themselves-will stop me.” Shiro’s words seemed to stun the elder dragon into silence for a moment. Sarah gripped Allura’s hand tightly, watching the proceedings with bated breath. 

 

“ _I see that there can be no compromise. We will remain here and do what we can for the good of the universe._ ” the ancient dragon said after a moment. He flew into the air, looping around and flying off into the distance. The group watched him go until they lost him amongst the clouds. 

 

When Shiro turned Sarah ran up to him, crying again as he held her tightly. “I’m not going to let anything happen to you.” he whispered fiercely. 

 

“That grumpy old-as-balls dragon doesn’t know what he’s saying.” Krisox said irritably. “There’s always another way.” 

 

“Krisox is right. We’ll find another solution. They don’t know Haggar like we do.” Allura said confidently. 

 

“D-did you just say ‘Krisox is right?’” Sarah asked with a shaky laugh, turning as she and Shiro walked to them. 

 

“Oh god, I did, didn’t I.” Allura groaned jokingly. Sarah smiled despite her anxiety, taking Shiro’s hand as they walked back to their home.

 

“I will protect you.” Shiro whispered as they returned to the castle. 

 

Sarah gazed up into his eyes, seeing his fear over losing her and his determination not to let that happen. “I know.” she murmured. “I know you will.”


	141. Crystal Gift

“Sarah….?” Kayla asked, rapping lightly on the frame of her sister’s door. Sarah looked up from painting her nails as her little sister entered her room. “I met with the dragons….” she said softly.

 

Sarah gave Kayla a small, weak smile and returned to her nails. “What did they say?” 

 

“A lot of stuff…..you might want to ask Krisox, I’m not sure if I understood all of it.”

 

“I forgot, big words are your weakness.” Sarah teased. 

 

Kayla playfully shoved her before continuing. “They gave me this to give to you.”

 

Sarah looked up again to see her sister holding a necklace delicately. A fairly sizable clear crystal pendant hung from it, glowing faintly blueish-purple. Sarah carefully took it, holding the pendant in the palm of her hand. “What is it?”

 

“They said it was an amulet. It will allow you to use magic without exhausting yourself. Not forever, but still. They said you can use it to make light weapons. Do you know what they mean?” 

 

“I think so. I’ve made something that sounds like that a couple times before.” She slid the necklace over her head so the crystal rested on her chest. 

 

Her phone buzzed then and she leaned over to where it was charging and put it on speaker. “Yo.”

 

“Hey, the representatives from Unipeace and the Blade of Marmora are about to depart. Did you have anything you wanted to say?” Allura asked from the other end of the line. 

 

“No, I don’t think so…oh no wait, yes!” Sarah said, suddenly excited. “I want to meet with the leader of Marmora.”

 

“Why?” Allura asked, sounding wary and confused. 

 

“Uhm….that’s a long and kinda complicated answer. It has to do with one of my several plans.” 

 

“I see…” her friend chuckled. “I’ll ask and get back to you.”

 

“Thanks, love!” 

 

“You wanna meet with the leader? Why?” Kayla asked curiously.

 

“Like I told Allura, that’s-”

 

“Dumb it down for me.” 

 

“Uh….they’re Galra, so they know Galra culture…..if we are to dethrone and replace Zarkon, it needs to be someone the Galra trust….um…..”

 

Kayla scrutinised her sister for a moment before speaking. “I’m glad your mind is on our side.” she said, shaking her head and laughing as she left her sister’s room. 


	142. The Blade

“And you’re really sure you want to meet him?” Keith asked for what felt like the hundredth time. 

 

“Yes, Keith.” Sarah said calmly from the pilot’s seat, as she worked in tandem with White to fly them to the headquarters of the Blade of Marmora. Though the Red Lion was faster, White was smaller, and as she was more in tune with the flow of the Universe’s quintessence, she assured them she would easily be able to navigate the turbulent space. 

 

Sure enough, they landed in no time, Shiro and Keith following Sarah out of her Lion. As two Galra came out to receive them, Sarah and White rested their heads against each other for a moment, wordlessly communicating in their special way. “I’ll see you again soon, love.” she murmured, turning and taking Shiro’s hand as they entered the base. 

 

As they proceeded into what looked like a throne room, Sarah found her eyes flickering all over, taking everything in. Shiro and Keith managed to keep their gaze forward as they approached a raised platform.

 

“This is Kolivan.” Shiro said when they came to stop a short ways from the platform. “The leader of the Blade of Marmora.” Sarah’s eyes snapped forward, scanning the imposing Galra standing before them.

 

“Why did you request an audience with me, young one?” 

 

“I have plans that require Galra help. I’ve met with Thace, and I’ve kept in contact-surely he’s told you at least something?” she asked, though she already knew the answer. 

 

“He has. However, I am not convinced that we should collaborate with you.”

 

“That’s fair.” she acknowledged. “You don’t know me from Eve.”

 

“That is not the only reason.” Kolivan nodded to the Galra behind her, who grabbed her arm and held it behind her, pushing her down and pinning her to the floor.

 

“Hey, what are you doing?!” Shiro yelled when she cried out. She heard a scuffle, and with difficulty managed to glimpse her husband and Keith being forcibly restrained. “Let her go!”

 

“I pity you, that you have been so deceived by this druid witch.” Kolivan growled. “We shall free Voltron from her clutches thusly.” 

 

“Oh, for the love of…” Sarah grumbled, before vanishing and reappearing next to Kolivan. The other Galra hissed, drawing their weapons. “I’m not a druid, bitch. Druids use Black Magic.” To make her point, she created an orb of white light in her palm. “I use White Magic.” 

 

“There is no such thing!”

 

“The hell there isn’t! Have you seen the druids in action? Does this look like the shit they do?” She brought her hands together, squishing the orb, before pulling her hands gracefully apart in a wide arc, making a rainbow that she expanded to fill the room’s ceiling. As it faded, she crossed her arms over her chest, glaring. “Don’t lump me in with those entropy-creating druids. I’ve probably killed more of them than you have.” she scoffed, dramatically brushing her pony tail over her shoulder. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Shiro smiling and shaking his head and she grinned. 

 

“We will not be disrespected, witch, whatever kind of magic you wield!” 

 

“Look, I respect your organisation, I respect the technology you wield, I respect the fact that you guys have managed to fly under Zarkon’s radar for centuries. I respect you. I do. But, from what I can tell, you haven’t made a dent in the Galra empire. Not until Voltron showed up.” 

 

“You know nothing of the Blade of Marmora.” he hissed. 

 

“You’ve got a point there. Why the fuck do you think I’m here?”

 

“You are not worthy of our secrets!” 

 

“How do I become ‘worthy’?” she asked, mockingly using air quotes. 

 

“The Trials of Marmora.” he growled menacingly. 

 

“Sounds fun.” she said dryly. 

* * *

“Sarah, you have no idea what you’re getting yourself into.” Keith said after she donned the trial suit. 

 

“I do, a bit. I listened when you told me about it. Believe it or not, that’s something I do. I listen.” she said, brushing him off casually. 

 

“Shiro, talk some sense into her!” the Red Paladin said desperately, turning to his brother. 

 

Shiro rested his hands on her shoulders and she smiled up at him. “She’s got this.” he said confidently. She beamed, resting her hands on his armoured chest as she rose up to kiss him. “You just have to have some faith.”

 

“But I barely made it through, and, no offense, but I have more combat skill!”

 

“I have other skills, Keith.” Sarah said, sticking her tongue at him. 

 

“They said no magic.” 

 

“They said I couldn’t use magic to _fight._ ” she corrected, smirking as Keith stared at her dumbfounded. 

 

“Go get em, princess.” Shiro murmured, kissing her nose before he and Keith were led off elsewhere. 

 

Taking a deep breath, she entered the arena-like room. “Reminds me of a Pokemon gym….” she murmured to herself, looking around. After she took a few more steps in, a Galra fighter rose from a hidden platform in the floor. 

 

“You cannot win this, witch. It is best to surrender.” they said, drawing their blade. 

 

“You’re welcome to at any time, darling.” she said sweetly, reaching out through quintessence to the tunnel they had risen from. She prepped herself, waiting for them to charge. When they did, she smirked and vanished, her giggling echoing throughout the room as her opponent looked around wildly. She couldn’t really enjoy their confusion, as she was on the platform they had just used, now riding it down. 

* * *

When she reached the exit of the shaft, she paused, startled for half a second, before remembering the rest of Keith’s trial. 

 

“You did it, baby!” Shiro said, standing before her with his arms open. “Kolivan’s really impressed, but he won’t admit it. He’s too prideful. We should just go, we’re done here.” 

 

Eyes narrowed, she shook her head. “No. You aren’t real, you’re a hologram or something. I’m not done here.” 

 

“Why do you have to be so stubborn all the time?” Shiro asked, exasperated. “It’s not all about your wants, Sarah. Maybe you should think about other people for once in your spoiled life!” 

 

She took a deep breath to steady herself and fight off her tears. _This isn’t real._ she told herself. _It’s a portrayal of my hopes and fears. This isn’t real._ But it felt so real….

 

“Oh, here come the waterworks. I can’t believe you thought you could do this. You’re completely useless without your magic, don’t you know that by now?” 

 

“Enough!” she screamed, giving up on fighting back her tears. “I will get the information i want. I will accomplish my goals. I will bring Emperor Zarkon to his knees and rid the universe of him once and for all.” she growled. “I will do it with or without the fucking Blade of Mimosa or whatever the fuck. You hear me, Kolivan? You want to test my resolve?!” Turning away from Shiro, she vanished once again. 

* * *

“Where’d she go?!” Kolvian roared as he looked between the screens. Keith looked between him, the screens, and Shiro, whose eyes were glistening as his gaze lingered where his wife had been just a moment before. 

 

“Shiro….you okay…?” Keith asked gently. 

 

“Yea, I’ll be…I’ll be fine.” he said thickly. 

 

“Where’d she go?” 

 

Before Shiro could answer, alarms blared from all over and the screens split, revealing different hallways and other parts of the base, all featuring Sarah running. 

 

“How can she be in so many places at once?!” Kolivan yelled, turning on Shiro who stood his ground. “What tricks is she playing? I told her no magic!”

 

“You told her she couldn’t fight with magic.” Shiro said simply, glaring at the Galra leader. “This isn’t fighting.” 

 

For a second it looked as though Kolivan might strike him, making Keith tense, but instead the Galra turned back to the screens, screaming orders. 

 

One by one, each of the Sarahs turned out to be nothing but smoke as various Galra tried to capture her. “Where. Is. She.” Kolivan growled through gritted teeth. 

 

Before Shiro could answer, Sarah’s voice came from beside them. 

 

“She’s right here.” Sarah appeared then, leaning against the console before the screens. “And she just got all the information she could ever want on the Blade of Tortuga.” She smirked, waving her phone in her hand. 

 

Shiro smiled relieved, before rushing to her side as she fell to her knees, exhausted. “You okay?” he asked, holding her against him. 

 

“Yea, it’s just really taxing having clones run around and being invisible.” she murmured, her eyes closing. Keith knelt next to them, staring at her in awe. 

 

“How dare you make a mockery of-” Kolivan started.

 

“Shiro, can you make him shut up, I’m in need of a nap.” she whined, snuggling closer to him. 

 

“Of course, princess.” he murmured, before glaring up at the Galra. “We can address this after she’s rested.” 

 

“No, we will address this now!” 

 

“If she doesn’t rest, she could die.” Shiro growled, his voice dark and threatening as he held her in his arms, standing up. “And if you cause my wife to die, not even Voltron could protect you from my wrath.”

* * *

“Hey, sleepy head.” Shiro’s voice cooed as Sarah stretched. “Sleep well?”

 

“Yea.” she yawned, sitting up. “Where are we?”

 

“Holding cell.” he answered as she stood up and looked around. “They were pretty pissed, but agreed to wait to discuss your antics if we stayed here.” Sarah turned, smirking as Shiro rose to his feet. “You really riled them up, princess.” 

 

“What even was the point?” Keith asked from a corner irritably. 

 

“To get their attention.” Sarah answered simply, shrugging. “And to get them to take me seriously. I think I’ve accomplished both.” She beamed proudly, hands on her hips. 

 

“Take you seriously?” the Red Paladin repeated, confused.

 

“Well, yea, I mean, look at me. I’m tiny and adorable. No one’s gonna take me seriously at first sight.” she said plainly. 

 

“And that’s a mistake some will pay dearly for.” Shiro said lovingly, wrapping his arms around her midsection and pulling her in for a kiss. 

 

“Ugh, can you not when I can’t escape to another room?” Keith groaned. 

 

All three turned as the cell door opened and three Galra entered. “Good, she is awake. Kolivan seeks an audience with you.”

* * *

“We will hear you, Sarah.” the Galra leader said carefully, sitting across from her at a hologram table surrounded by other Galra, with Shiro and Keith at her side. “I cannot promise you our support.” 

 

“Well I wouldn’t expect you to without more information.” she said with a nod. 

 

“What would you ask of the Blade of Marmora?” 

 

“I need Galra inside the empire spreading the idea that Zarkon is an inept leader. I want there to be discontent. Turn the empire against Zarkon from within.”

 

“How? With rumours and gossip?” A few Galra snickered, but Sarah did her best to ignore them.

 

“Yes. As silly as that might be, it’s effective. If you make too much noise too early, Zarkon will easily find and execute the dissenters. We need something that grows slowly in the shadows. Thace says there’s already growing discontent from the distrust of the druids and Haggar. They say that ever since Voltron came back, Zarkon has spent all his time and focus hunting it down, locking himself up with the druids and not listening to anyone but Haggar.” A murmuring spread through their audience, but Sarah’s eyes never left Kolivan. 

 

“Say we accomplish this. We turn the rest of the empire against Zarkon. What then?” he asked after a thoughtful moment. 

 

“We get one of our own on the throne. While we tear down Zarkon, we build someone else up. Quietly, secretly, but in a way where they gain the empire’s trust and respect. With Zarkon out of the way, the empire needs someone to fill the vacancy and who better than someone they’ve come to trust and respect?”

 

“You want to keep the empire intact?!” Keith asked in angry astonishment. “Why?!?” 

 

“Because the Galra empire has conquered most of the known universe. If you take it out, then you have a universe-wide power vacancy that is impossible to fill.”

 

“But we’d free planets from Galar control!”

 

“I imagine some of the planets have only ever known the Galra empire. They would descend into anarchy without some form of government, and we simply don’t have the resources or manpower to go to every planet and help them establish their own government.” she answered patiently. 

 

“But you can’t just change an entire empire overnight! It’s built on enslaving others and destroying civilisations!”

 

“It wouldn’t be overnight, but yes, I do intend to change the empire from within. I need its structure and its reach, not its policies.” she said simply, turning back to Kolivan. “Three things must happen simultaneously inside the empire for this to work. Tear down Zarkon, build up one of our own, and change how the Galra perceive the universe at large.”

 

“How?” Kolivan asked; Sarah got the feeling he was raising an eyebrow in skeptical curiosity, but his mask prevented her from knowing for sure.

 

“Propaganda.” she answered with a devilish smirk. “That I would leave almost completely to you, as I do not know Galra culture or motivations. I don’t know what the Galra as a group value. We’d need to mold our message in such a way that they are susceptible to it.”

 

The entire room sat in a heavy silence for several minutes, making Sarah slightly nervous. She breathed a sigh of relief when Kolivan finally spoke again. “We will discuss this further and get back to you. It is appealing that your plan fits in with our desire to…’fly under the radar’ as humans put it.”

 

She smiled and nodded. “Leave all the more overt work to us. It wouldn’t come as a surprise for Team Voltron to show up and destroy a Galra facility or disrupt a supply line. Hell, we’re already hard at work at that.” 

 

Kolivan nodded and rose, the three humans following suit. “Before you go….your Lion. Where did it come from? It is not one of the original five.” 

 

“Two of our party built her. The life force of my mentor now resides within, after her physical form took heavy damage in a battle with a druid.”

 

“You _built_ another Lion?!”

 

“Yea, so?”

 

“Zarkon has spent several millennia trying to recreate the Lions, to no avail. How is this possible?”

 

“Yea, I know.” Sarah chuckled. “He’s missing a few key things. I don’t know much myself, just vaguely what materials are used and their origin.” 

 

The Galra leader watched her for a moment before waving a hand, dismissing them. “You shall hear back within an Earth month.” 

* * *

“Do you seriously want to keep the Galra empire intact?” Keith fumed after they bordered White. 

 

“Yes, Keith. I shudder to think of the state the universe would be in if we disposed of it entirely.” 

 

“You can’t possibly think you can just gut the empire and make it your own! The Galra live by ‘triumph or death’. You can’t go in with a few think pieces and expect to cause a massive cultural shift!”

 

“Then how would you go about it?” she asked angrily, her patience wearing thin. “We take out the entire empire, clean up ten thousand years of universe-spanning activity, then what? What about those civilizations who don’t know anything else? They don’t know how to establish their own form of government. And those that can, what if they don’t have the resources or the means to protect themselves and their fledgling government?” She took a few deep breaths to ease herself as she flew them out, White guiding her. “I’ve spent a very long time thinking this over, Keith.” she said steadily. “I hate the Galra just as much as you do. Honestly, I don’t want them, I just want their empire. That kind of reach and framework would be impossible to establish again. I want to take what they used to inspire fear and inflict violence, and use it for good.”

 

The three of them stood in silence for a long while as Sarah focused on safely flying them out of the difficult space. 

 

“You sound kind of like Allura….You sure you weren’t some kind of queen or something on Stiea K2?” Keith asked after a moment, a slightly lame attempt at humour but Sarah appreciated it all the same.

 

“God, I wish, how rad would that be? I’d kill for my own empire.” 

 

“Okay, don’t go giving her ideas.” Shiro said, making the other two laugh.


	143. Reconnect

“Hey, before we get really far away from the Aywei,” Shiro began after they flew through the wormhole Allura had created for them. “Could we go back to that cave and….meditate again?” 

 

“I don’t see why not. Why?” Sarah asked curiously. 

 

“I’d….I’d like that connection we had back. I’ve been so busy I haven’t had time to think about it being broken but….I liked it. I liked being able to sense how you were doing, no matter how far apart we were. It was comforting.” 

 

Sarah smiled softly up at him. “I’d like it back, too.” 

 

“Uh….what?” Keith asked, looking at them weirdly, causing the couple to laugh. 

* * *

The castle landed on the plateau in the valley, allowing Shiro, Sarah, and the others to descend into the valley below at their leisure. The couple made their way back to the gem cavern alone, wanting to reconnect without distractions like they had the first time. 

 

It was easier for them to connect, as they knew what to expect from previous experience. In no time, they found themselves at peace, their hearts beating in sync. 

 

“I’m glad we have that back…” Shiro said softly after a time as the two stood up. He wrapped his arms around her middle as he tugged her closer. 

 

“Me too,” she murmured, her eyes twinkling as she rose up on her toes to kiss him. Her hands slithered around his neck, one hand lacing through his hair. 

 

As the two got more heated Shiro backed her against a wall, smirking slightly as he lifted her by her ass and her legs wrapped around him. She huffed, playfully frowning at him, before gasping as he attacked her neck. 

 

He paused when a thought occurred to him. “Should we really be doing this now, don’t we have-”

 

“Just shut up and let’s get down to it already.” she said, cutting him off curtly. 

 

“Yes ma’am.” he chuckled. 

* * *

“I love the little noises you make for me.” Shiro said in a low voice as they left the cave. 

 

“Shiiirrooo….” Sarah whined, blushing furiously. “Stop it.” He laughed as she lightly elbowed him. 

 

The sun had begun to set when they reached the castle on the plateau. Allura was resting on the grass with Coran, Kayla, and Hunk, sitting up as the couple approached. 

 

“Everyone back?” Shiro asked. The group rose to their feet and returned to the castle with them. 

 

“Just waiting on Keith and Lance.” Allura answered. “I hope they didn’t get lost.”

 

“No, they aren’t lost.” Krisox said, approaching from the side and joining the group. “They’re fuckin just a bit that way.” He lazily gestured behind him, ignoring the others’ scandalised expressions. “I presume you two had some intimate fun, too?” he smirked as Shiro went red and Sarah groaned. 

 

“Krisox didn’t mom and dad tell you to not? Humans are private about their sex lives.” Kayla chastised as they rode the elevator up into the castle. 

 

“I mean they did but when live on Vaynov as much as I have you kind of just don’t give a shit anymore.”

 

“Well, we aren’t on Vaynov, so if you could please-” Allura began testily. 

 

“Ugh if you insist, I can try to censor myself around your precious, innocent ears.”

 

“We would all greatly appreciate it.”


	144. Idea

“Damn,” Sarah murmured, scanning her computer screen.

 

“What is it?” Pidge asked the pull out bed in Darling. 

 

“Well, I was hoping that our selfie in front of Zarkon’s throne would have more of an impact but apparently not.”

 

“What are you trying to accomplish?”

 

“Well, I have a theory that…..okay, I presume that most of the universe hasn’t actually ever seen Zarkon, they’ve only heard about him. I imagine most people consider him a god of some sort, and it’s really not that far-fetched if you think about it. I mean, he has been around for ten thousand years somehow.”

 

“True….”

 

“I figure if we can humiliate him or something….it can affect that image. Make people less afraid of him.” 

 

“Why don’t you just kick his ass and stream it live? I’m sure that’d do the trick.” Pidge said dryly. “How many fucking plans do you have?” She looked up when Sarah didn’t respond and found her friend staring pensively at nothing in particular. “Sarah?”

 

“What if I did kick his ass and stream it…..” she looked up, her mischievous eyes twinkling. “That’d be hilarious!”

 

“Sarah, wait, I was joking, you can’t actually go and kick his ass.”

 

“Says who?” she said huffily, standing up and jogging out of Darling.

 

“Says logic and reason and….” Pidge went on, her voice fading as Sarah ran out of ear shot. 

 

“Hey, Shiro!” Sarah said excitedly as she entered the training deck where he was sparring with Keith. 

 

“What’s up?” he asked, straightening up as she approached him. 

 

“Pidgey gave me a great idea! Our selfie isn’t having quote the effect I wanted, and Pidgey said-”

 

“I did not give her any ideas!” Pidge said from the door, hands on her knees while she tried to catch her breath. “I made a joke and she took it seriously!”

 

“What was the joke?” Keith asked, confused. 

 

“Me kicking Zarkon’s ass and live streaming it!” Sarah answered, jumping up and down in her excitement. 

 

“Uh…..princess, I don’t want to kill your enthusiasm, but-” Shiro began hesitantly.

 

“No, no, I know it’s dangerous and no laughing matter. I wouldn’t proceed alone. Just….” she trailed off for a minute, trying to find the right words to use. “If I can wound him….if I can make him bleed….I think it’ll help our efforts.”

 

“How?” Keith asked skeptically. 

 

“Gods don’t bleed.” she said with a devilish smirk. 

 

“And most of the universe thinks he’s a god…” Shiro added slowly. 

 

Sarah nodded happily. “So what do you think? With a little planning and training?”

 

She watched Shiro’s face carefully as he mulled it over. She knew he wasn’t keen on the idea, especially with all the close calls she’s had the past few months and the looming threat of her having to sacrifice herself to imprison Haggar. 

 

“This isn’t something we rush through.” he said after a long moment. “We plan and we plan, and maybe you train with the bots some or me or Allura….”

 

“But you’re on board?” she asked tentatively.

 

“Do I really have a choice?” he said with a teasing smile. “When you set your mind to something, nothing and no one can get in your way…..I’ve learned it’s better to go along with your crazy schemes to make sure you don’t get in over your head.” The couple laughed as she playfully punched him. 

 

“Well you two have fun with your suicide mission. Just let it be clear-it wasn’t really my idea.” Pidge warned before leaving the room. 


	145. One v. One

Sarah spent the following two months training with Allura and Shiro in hand to hand combat, and I’ntayn and White in White Magic conservation. Throughout, she planned and planned and planned some more. 

 

“Okay. Run me through it again.” Shiro said a few days before they intended to put their plan in motion. 

 

“From the beginning or…?” Sarah asked, lazily playing a hand game with her husband as they relaxed in their bed. 

 

“Well I mean getting captured is pretty straight forward.” he said with a grin. 

 

“From there it’s just….we get brought before Zarkon, I challenge him, I kick his ass. And you record it with your helmet cam, we’ll need to have that going ahead of time.” 

 

“You talk as if it’s some simple everyday thing, don’t you have more?”

 

“Well…..yea….” she said hesitantly, avoiding his gaze. 

 

“Hey….” he said softly, gently lifting her chin to meet his gaze. “Please.” 

 

She bit her lip as she held his gaze, thinking. “I just….there are a few surprises in store for Zarkon….and….I don’t want anything to give the game away….” she trailed off, lowering her gaze again. 

 

“If you need me to act, I can.” he prompted, tilting his head to try and catch her eye. 

 

“Yea….yea. Okay. For starters, Krisox and Kayla are gonna majorly help out….” she began. 

* * *

It didn’t take long for them to be captured. They were two of the most wanted people in the Galra Empire, so it wasn’t surprising. Shiro had to nudge Sarah several times to keep her from giving the game away herself; she found it hilarious that the Galra were acting exactly as she had anticipated.

 

When they boarded Zarkon’s ship, his anxiety heightened in intensity. He hated being in Galra ships as it brought back many unpleasant and painful memories. But he was determined to assist Sarah with her plans, as wild and dangerous as they may be. He wholeheartedly believed in her schemes, and he knew they’d be key to winning the war.

 

“A most pleasant surprise.” Zarkon said when they were brought before him. “And a suspicious one. What are you planning?”

 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Shiro said innocently. 

 

Zarkon glared at them for a moment before speaking again. “Very well….where’d you find another Lion? It is not a prototype. I was there at the beginning, and I have never seen a White Lion before recently.” He rose from his throne and marched over to Sarah. Shiro tensed; he didn’t want Zarkon anywhere near her. “It is your Lion, correct?”

 

“Yes.” she said, her wide, innocent eyes staring up at the Galra emperor. 

 

“Where did you find it?”

 

“Well, for starters, ‘its’ a _she_.” she began, the corners of her mouth twitching as she tried to fight her smile. “And second off, we didn’t find her. We _built_ her. If you want anymore,” She was losing the battle against her smile. “you’re gonna have to fight me for it.”

 

“You _built_ it?!? How?!” Zarkon said incredulously. 

 

“Okay literally what the fuck did I just say.” she said, slightly irritably. 

 

He glared at her for a long moment. “Very well. When I defeat you, you will answer my questions. Then I will dispose of the both of you. You have meddled in my affairs one too many times.”

* * *

They were brought to the same room Shiro had fought Zarkon in before. He cringed at the memory, and instead tried to focus on Sarah’s plan. But that didn’t really help. 

 

“As I am feeling generous today, I will allow you to use magic. It wouldn’t be any fun if you only last a minute.” Zarkon said as he took his position, smiling menacingly. 

 

“We wouldn’t want that.” Sarah said, smirking. 

 

It began very quickly, and try as he might he had a hard time following the battle. Sarah was everywhere, her laughter filling the room as Zarkon targeted different Sarahs, only to have them disappear into smoke. He could tell the emperor was getting frustrated, and he couldn’t help but smile slightly as things went according to Sarah’s plan. 

 

“Enough of your games!” Zarkon roared.

 

“I thought you said you wanted to have fun?” Sarah mock whined as her clones disappeared, leaving the real Sarah alone at the other end of the room.  

A gleaming white sword formed in her hand as Zarkon drew his own sword. They clashed in the middle, their swords sending off sparks every which way. Surprisingly, she held her own against Zarkon’s strength. He supposed her siblings were helping with that; they were waiting invisibly outside in White, waiting for their cue to warp the couple out. 

 

The dynamics changed when Zarkon dodged Sarah’s lunge and elbowed her hard in the back, sending her stumbling. 

 

“Sarah!” he yelled, frantic as Zarkon approached his downed wife.

 

Her sword gone, she rose to her hands and knees, only to have Zarkon kick her over, holding her down against the floor with his foot. “Thus ends your reign of terror.” he growled. 

 

“Wait-wait! You wanted information!” Shiro screamed desperately. 

 

“There are other sources I’m sure. I’m tired of this one’s games.” Zarkon rose his blade in the above her, ignoring Shiro’s pleading. Sarah seemed almost in shock, frozen in place, her eyes wide as Zarkon plunged…

 

His blade hit the floor as Sarah disappeared in wisps of smoke. The emperor stumbled as he and everyone else stared in confusion. 

 

“Where is she?!” Zarkon asked angrily, turning on Shiro.

 

“I don’t-I-” he said, bewildered. _This wasn’t part of the plan….unless….._

Suddenly Sarah appeared behind Zarkon, flickering slightly and magic blade in hand. Two slices later and Zarkon was on his knees, gasping. His cuts were glowing slightly, but Shiro could see the emperor was bleeding. 

 

Sarah stood before the downed emperor, hands on her hips. “Okay, I’ve had my fun. Shiro, you ready to go?” 

 

Before he could answer, they found themselves in White’s cockpit with her siblings as the Lion looped around and flew them away safely. 

 

“Sarah, what was that? What happened?” Shiro asked, still shaken. 

 

“Kayla’s ancient magic can create very solid figures.” she said, flashing her sister a thumbs up, before addressing Shiro softly. “I’m so so sorry babe, that was incredibly cruel of me, I know…..I just-”

 

“You needed a believable reaction.” he finished for her, pulling her into his arms and holding her tightly. “Can you promise to never do that again?” 

 

“Cross my heart.” she said firmly. 

 

“Good.” he sighed, kissing the top of her head. “No more dangerous missions for a while, okay? I need a break.” he laughed nervously. 

 

“Of course.” she murmured, rising up on  her toes to kiss him. 


	146. Unexpected Prisoner

“Okay, it’s been a month and I haven’t heard anything about Zarkon’s movements.” Sarah muttered grumpily as she scanned the website that kept track of dead planets in relation to Zarkon’s central command. 

 

“Is that unusual?” Allura asked from the center console in the control room. 

 

“Well, yea, typically he’s be-bopping the fuck around harvesting quintessence. But ever since I cut him, he’s hasn’t moved at all. I don’t know what to make of that.”

 

“On the upside your livestream is having the effect you wanted.” Shiro said from the front console. “Unipeace has reported a dramatic change in the perception of the Galra Empire. They’re receiving more support than ever before.” 

 

“That is good.” she said with a chuckle. “I just wish we knew what Zarkon was up to….”

 

Shiro sighed heavily. “I sense a plan into dangerous territory for recon.” 

 

“Well we don’t have to go to his central command….” Sarah said sheepishly. 

* * *

With Krisox as their getaway driver, Sarah and Shiro infiltrated an outlying Galra command ship. They hadn’t expected it to be carrying a highly valuable prisoner. 

 

“There was another champion?” Sarah commented, surprised. “But we destroyed the arena!”

 

“This might have been from before that.” Shiro suggested with a shrug. 

 

“Let’s break em out, yea?” 

 

Shiro’s eyes tightened slightly. He didn’t want to split up. “Okay. I’ll go. You see if you can get the information on Zarkon.” He kissed her forehead for a long moment before pulling away. “Stay low, stay safe.”

 

“You too babe.”

* * *

“Mom….?” Shiro asked in disbelief, staring wide-eyed at his [mother](https://mjmaxs.tumblr.com/post/158040596325/shiros-mom-i-am-but-its-still-not-working), the last person he had expected to see on a Galra ship. “ _You’re_ the champion?”

 

“Oh thank god, Takashi, you’re okay.” she said, running up to him and hugging him tightly. She was so relieved to see him it seemed like she completely forgot the chaos that surrounded them. 

 

“Um-”

 

“Right. Let’s get out of here.” 

 

“How’d you-when-”

 

“I can tell you my adventures and you tell me yours after we get somewhere safe.” she said matter-of-factually, turning and firing on the sentries approaching them. A blast rocked the ship, causing them to stumble. “What in the hell could that be?”

 

“It uh….it might be my wife…” he said with a nervous chuckle, waving for her to follow. 

 

Sure enough, after they turned a corner he saw Sarah facing off with two druids in a large hanger. The druids were zapping all over, trying to confuse her, but to no avail; there were suddenly two dozen Sarahs, throwing off the druids. The real Sarah stood just outside the mob of her clones. She had her bayard in hand, tossing it up with her right hand and then catching with her left as it became a bow; she pulled her right hand back, forming an arrow made out of pure quintessence, and let go. Her aim was perfect; in a flash of light, both druids burst into dust. 

 

“Hey!” he called as he ran up to her. “That was amazing.” 

 

“Dude, right? That was super lucky. Haven’t had a lot of practise with the bow.” she giggled, her bayard returning to its normal form and then disappearing. “Oh, uh, hi…?” she said questioningly as his mom joined them. 

 

“Oh, this is my mom,” he began, noting how Sarah’s eyes went wider than ever but continuing. “mom, this is Sarah, my wife.” 

 

“Oh…” she said quietly, looking over Sarah curiously. 

 

“We can do proper introductions in the castle, yeah? Krisox is coming back in, says it’s time to go.”

 

“Krisox is….?” his mom asked, raising an eyebrow as the trio followed Sarah. 

 

“Her brother.” Shiro answered. “Like she said, we can do proper introductions once we’re safe.” 

* * *

“How are we going to escape in this small thing?” Shiro’s mom said skeptically as they boarded Krisox’s ship through a hacked airlock. 

 

“Sarah, who is this.” Krisox said dully, slightly irritable. 

 

“This is Shiro’s mom! We can talk later, get us the fuck out, please.” Sarah said with a nervous laugh. 

 

“Yea yea….” he muttered, closing his ship’s hatch and activating its invisibility. “I’m not gonna signal Allura until we’re a safe distance.”

 

“Krisox’s ship has advanced invisibility capabilities.” Shiro said, answering his mother’s confused and questioning look. 

 

“It’s invisible to the naked eye and radar.” Sarah added proudly. “He decked out my ship in a similar fashion.” 

 

“How is that even possible?” her mother-in-law asked, still skeptical. 

 

“Um….uh….” Sarah stammered; she didn’t think to ask, just accepted that it was possible. 

 

“Okay, I’m not going into the specs when we’re escaping the Galra.” Krisox snapped. Shiro’s mom looked offended and a little angry but didn’t continue with her questioning. 

* * *

“You’re mother?!” Allura gasped as Shiro filled the rest of the team in. 

 

“You’re a Voltron Paladin?” his mom said, looking around in awe. 

 

“Uh…yea…” he said, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. “We have a lot to catch up on….”

 

“Holy shit!” Sarah yelled from the front console where she was looking through the data she had collected. 

 

“What is it?” Shiro and Allura asked, alert, as they jogged over to look over her shoulder. 

 

“Zarkon’s in a coma!” 

 

“Whoa! What did you do to him!?” Allura asked, her eyes wide. 

 

“I mean I just….maybe it’s a reaction to the White Magic? Kinda like how you reacted to Haggar’s Black Magic that one time?” Sarah said, turning to Shiro. 

 

“Is he down for the count?” Shiro asked, leaning closer to the holoscreen. 

 

“No telling. Haggar’s brought someone in to temporarily fill his shoes….who the hell is Prince Lotor?” 

 

All eyes turned to Allura when she gasped dramatically. “ _Lotor!_ Of course he’s still alive, just like his father!”

 

“Zarkon has a _son_?” Krisox asked incredulously. 

 

“And you didn’t think to mention that until now?” Keith said irritably. 

 

“I completely forgot!” Allura snapped. “Ten thousand years in cryo sleep can have an effect on your memory, you know.” 

 

“Uh….Shiro?” Shiro’s mom said uncertainly, standing where the group had left her with her arms crossed across her chest. 

 

“Oh, yea uh….let’s go catch up. See you later.” he said, kissing Sarah before leading his mom to his room. He had a million questions and he figured she did too. He was desperate to know how she came to be a Galra prisoner, hoping she hadn’t suffered as he had. 


	147. Catch Up

“So….you’re married?” his mom began hesitantly. “Do you have any kids…?”

 

“Yea, we adopted five alien kids orphaned by the Galra. The whole team did actually, it’s become a group effort.” he answered with a chuckle. 

 

“Where are they?”

 

“They’re on Sarah’s home planet with her parents. We had a pretty intense battle recently and we agreed it was best for them not to be around during something so dangerous. Sarah’s parents suggested they keep the kids there while they rebuild, as the planet is highly protected and we’ll be in dangerous situations more often than not.” 

 

“Is Sarah’s home planet not Earth?”

 

“Well, she came from Earth initially, yea. She and her sister were kidnapped as kids by child slavers. They were rescued and soon after adopted by scientists.”

 

“Oh my.” she murmured, her eyes widening slightly.  

 

“Yea…so…how’d you get to being a Galra prisoner?”

 

“After you disappeared, the Garrison’s cover story….it just didn’t feel right. So…I pulled a few strings and went to Kerberos myself. I guess the Galra hung around because they captured me, too.” 

 

“And then they sent you to the arena?” Shiro prompted, his face paling slightly. 

 

His mother nodded grimly. “I was their new champion until the druids took interest. And then someone completely destroyed the arena, that derailed whatever plans they had for me and I was kind of bounced around from prison to prison until you found me.” 

 

“Oh god….” Shiro murmured, his eyes wide and fearful. “I’m so glad the druids didn’t get to you, they-they-” he stammered slightly, staring at his Galra prosthetic. “I-I still don’t know what all t-they did…”

 

“Oh, Takashi….” she whispered in horror, pulling him into a hug. “I’m so _so_ sorry.”

 

Shiro nodded, holding his mother tightly. After a moment, he took a deep breath and pulled back. “The arena….Sarah and I are the ones who destroyed it.” 

 

“Really now? You got captured again?” 

 

“We’ve actually been captured and recaptured quite a few times….though when we were brought before Zarkon a month ago, that was according to Sarah’s plan…” he said, trailing off at the memory and staring off at nothing in particular. Though it had been a ruse, Zarkon seemingly almost killing the love of his life still haunted him. 

 

“Shiro….?” his mother prompted gently, resting a hand on his shoulder. 

 

He met her concerned gaze and sighed. “I’m fine, it’s fine. I just….I wasn’t exactly filled in on all the details of the plan, and….it looked like Zarkon was going to k-kill her-” He broke off, trying to regain composure. His mother knitted her brows together and pursed her lips together in a disapproving fashion. “She’s wonderful though, really.” he added quickly. “I love her so much, mom. She can….get a little thoughtless sometimes when she gets excited over a plan, but it’s not her fault, she doesn’t mean any harm…..” He hoped his mother would come to love Sarah, it meant the world to him. But he got the feeling that she would not approve of his wife easily. 


	148. Disapproval

“Oh…well, that sucks….” Sarah said, frowning when Shiro shared his concern that his mother might not like her. “Did she say why at all or…?”

 

“No, nor did she actually say anything outright. But…”

 

Sarah nodded. “Well….she’ll probably come around, yea? I mean, my mom did.” 

 

“She did?” 

 

“I think so. She hasn’t really said anything but I took it to mean she was on board.”

 

Shiro stared off uncertainly. 

 

“Man, what is it with our mothers….” Sarah said, smiling. “You realise we’re two for two?”

 

Though Shiro smiled, she could tell his heart wasn’t in it. Furrowing her brow, she leaned forward and caressed his cheek. “What’s wrong?” she asked gently. 

 

“It’s…nothing…” he said, avoiding her gaze as he rose from their bed. “I’m gonna shower.”

 

She stared after him, confused and concerned. It wasn’t like him to avoid her like that. 

 

A few hours later, as they were getting ready for bed, Sarah worked up the courage to ask him about it. She knew communication wasn’t her strong suit, but it was important. 

 

“Shiro?” she asked tentatively. 

 

“Yea?” he said absentmindedly as he pulled on a comfy t-shirt to sleep in.

There was a pause as she struggled to put the words together, but their connection conveyed her concerns without her having to say anything. He froze in front of the dresser, his hands gripping the top edge tightly. “I…I just wish you had told me all the details of your plan.”

 

“Oh….” she murmured, staring at her hands in her lap guiltily. “I’m sorry….I just-”

 

“I know you wanted a believable reaction!” he snapped angrily, causing her to recoil slightly. “I just…..I’ve watched you die so many times, I’ve almost lost you more times than I can count….” He took a deep, shuddering breath to try and steady himself. “It feels like I could lose you forever at any moment and there’s nothing I can do about it. It scares me. It scares me so much….” he sobbed, sinking to his knees and burying his face in his hands. 

 

Sarah carefully slid off the bed and crawled to him, wrapping her thin arms around him. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.” she whimpered. “I don’t want you to be scared, what can I do, I’ll do anything.” 

 

“I-I don’t think there’s anything you can do, except stop going on missions and taking risks, but I know-”

 

“I’ll do it. I’ll stop going on missions. I’ll stop taking risks.” He pulled away, staring at her in surprise. He opened his mouth to speak but she shook her head. “You are more important to me than everything else I’ve been doing. If me staying the castle more, if that’s what it takes to make you feel better, if that lessens your fears-I’ll do it.”

 

“But what if-”

 

“Kayla and Krisox are skilled in magic. Allura can take out druids easily. It’ll work out, you’ll see.”

 

“This is hardly a long-term solution, though. We’re at _war._ …”

 

“I-I know. I know. We’ll figure this out. I just want you to be happy.”

 

He smiled appreciatively, embracing her and kissing her softly. “I’m sorry I got angry.” he whispered. 

 

“It’s okay. You’re only human.” she said with a small smile, booping his nose. “Let’s get some sleep.” 

* * *

“Oh, good, you’re up!” Sarah said brightly as Shiro’s mother joined them at the dining table, rising to greet her. “We didn’t ever properly get to introduce ourselves. I’m Sarah Doody. It’s really a great pleasure to meet you!” She held out her hand, which she knew to be a traditional Earth greeting that signified amicability. 

 

Shiro’s mom seemed taken aback at first, but recovered quickly, taking the girl’s hand. “I’m Florence….” she began slowly. “Doody…I thought you two were married?” she asked, raising a questioning brow to Shiro. 

 

“Sarah and her sister agreed to keep their last names even after marriage. It’s not really a thing on their home to take one spouse’s surname, they don’t even really have surnames, I don’t think….?” he trailed off questioningly, looking to Sarah who nodded. 

 

“Plus it’s the only thing we have from our Earth family, we wanted to keep it.” she added, beaming. 

 

“That’s right….” Florence murmured, observing her daughter-in-law as the latter reclaimed her seat at the table. “How erm….how old were you….when you were abducted?”

 

“I was about nine.” Sarah answered casually, trying not to think about that night. “Kayla was six, it was just before her seventh birthday.” 

 

“Hey, you talkin shit?” her sister said as she joined them with her lunch. 

 

“No, Shiro’s mom, Florence, asked how old we were when we were…you know.”

 

“Oh yea….I don’t even really remember that night.”

 

“Well, yea, you were basically still an infant.” 

 

“Excuse you, but I had already lost some baby teeth by then, I remember that much.” 

 

“Hey, you fucks behave in front of our guest.” Krisox said as he joined them at the table. 

 

“Oh my god.” Sarah grumbled, rolling her eyes. “I apologise for him, he’s used to a much rowdier crowd.” she said, turning to Shiro’s mom who was watching the sibling banter with a curiously raised eyebrow. 

 

“Bitch please, you have the worst sailor mouth I’ve ever seen.” 

 

“Yea but I don’t whip it out in front of new company! Some people don’t like that sort of thing. I gotta at least know them a bit better before I just say fuck it, you can deal.” She made a little gasp, covering her mouth with her hand as she looked to Florence. “Oops, sorry.” Shiro chuckled and kissed her temple.

 

“Right….” Florence murmured. “Takashi, could you give me a tour?” 

 

“Sure thing.” he said, rising and walking around the table as she stood up. 

 

“Oh, Shiro, I’m getting a video call from my parents and the kids a bit later. I’ll text you just before, try to be there….?” she trailed off uncertainly. She didn’t like demanding things of people. She relaxed when he smiled and nodded. 

 

“Wouldn’t miss it.” he said before turning to his mother. “Shall we?” 

 

Sarah watched them go warily. She got the sense that Shiro’s mother really disapproved of her, more so than her mother had of him, but she couldn’t fathom why. 


	149. Unexpected

They hadn’t planned on getting involved in a land battle against the Galra. The castle landed on what they thought was a peaceful, Galra-free planet to restock supplies. It wasn’t long after they landed that they discovered just how wrong they were. 

 

Allura and Shiro gathered everyone in the control room as explosions rocked the ground beneath them. “Okay, we hadn’t planned on this and we don’t have much time to prepare, but we can’t just leave these people to fend for themselves. We’re going to help them win this battle and drive off the Galra forces.” Allura said fiercely, smiling as the younger Paladins cheered eagerly. “Paladins, to your Lions. I don’t think we need Voltron, at least not right now, but we need the Lions.” 

 

As the younger Paladins took off for their respective beasts, Shiro and Sarah stood off to the side, holding each other. 

 

“Just-be careful, yea?” Sarah said worriedly.

 

“Of course. I’ll be in the Black Lion, she wouldn’t let anything happen to me.” he assured her, caressing her cheek. “You okay staying in the castle….?” 

 

She nodded vigorously. “I don’t want you to be super worried over me. I’ll stay inside where it’s safe so you won’t have to worry.” 

 

“Uh, actually…” Allura interjected awkwardly. “I’d rather have all hands on deck, if we can.” 

 

“O-okay…” Sarah began, as Shiro’s face fell. “Okay, I have my sniper rifle, I can do that, right? I’ll be far away from any real danger but still be contributing!” She looked eagerly between Shiro and Allura. 

 

“Yea…yea.” Shiro said, though she noticed his eyes were still tight. 

 

“That works for me, just let me know where you’re going to set up.” Allura said as she returned to the central controls. 

 

“I’ll be safe and far away from all the danger.” Sarah murmured, kissing Shiro tenderly. “And if any Galra get nosy I can turn invisible and slip away before they get to me. You don’t have to worry, okay?” 

 

“Okay…yea. Okay.” he said as though he were trying to convince himself. They held each other tightly for a second longer, before he took off for his Lion. 

 

Florence volunteered to join Allura on the ground, along with Kayla, Krisox, and White who would proved a magical barrier of sorts. Coran was going to remain in the control room, keeping an eye on the battle via the holoscreen map and providing some cover fire from the ship’s lasers. Allura suggested Sarah take to the foothills next to the castle, as it would provide her higher vantage point, but not too high that she couldn’t easily escape back down to the castle. As an extra precaution Sarah flew over in Darling and situated herself close to her invisible ship. 

 

“Okay all the Lions are engaged.” Shiro said over comms. 

 

“Roger that.” Allura said, her voice crackling slightly. “We’re helping direct the troops, Coran, how’s it looking?” 

 

“It’s shaping up really well!” Coran chimed in cheerfully. “They’re really starting to give the Galra a run for their money!” 

 

“Sarah, how are you doing?” Allura asked. 

 

“Shuuush, I’m focusing. Do you know how hard that can be for me?” Sarah answered dryly, making several others chuckle. Though it had been a while since she last used her bayard sniper rifle, she found she could still land hits with decent accuracy. “Lowkey wish I had those Halo kill shot voice lines playing.” 

 

“Lowkey what…?” 

 

“Kilimanjaro!” Lance said laughing. 

 

“Whatever…” Allura muttered as Sarah and Lance laughed together. 

 

Sarah lost track of time, focusing on her job and paying close attention to the chatter on the comms. She didn’t notice someone had joined  her in the foothills until he spoke. 

 

“Isn’t it a little lonely up here?” a smug voice asked. 

 

Sarah whirled around, scrambling to stand up. “Who are you?” she demanded, her bayard disappearing as she braced herself, ready to make a run for the castle. 

 

“I’m no one specific. I’m curious who you are, though.” he said casually, leaning against a boulder. 

 

“Sarah?? What’s going on?” Shiro asked nervously. 

 

“Shiro, you stay focused, I got this.” Krisox said. “Sarah I’m coming your way, stay safe.” 

 

“Well?” the stranger prompted. 

 

“I’m….Sarah.” 

 

“Just Sarah?” he asked, amused. “Pity, here I thought you were the fabled White Witch.”

 

“What’s it to you?” she asked, her eyes narrowing, as she took a few tentative steps to the side, circling him slightly. 

 

“Oh, you know….idle curiosity.” 

 

“You aren’t very like other Galra, are you?” she asked suspiciously. 

 

“Oh, you could say that, yes.” he answered, smirking. 

 

Suddenly, he vanished in white smoke. Half a heartbeat later he was behind her. She gasped and turned around too quickly, falling over her twisted legs. “Not very graceful, are we?” he laughed, standing over her. 

 

“I can be when I want to be.” she growled, vanishing herself as she teleported herself away. She began running back to the castle, hoping to meet Krisox on the way, only to have to change her route when the mysterious Galra appeared in front of her. This happened repeatedly as she tried to make her escape, until she found herself in a small, flat valley between the foot hills and the larger mountains. Looking behind her, she saw the castle on the other side of the foothills from her. She silently cursed herself; he had intentionally directed her away from her allies. She was alone. 

 

“Who are you?” she asked again, panting slightly, glaring at the Galra after he appeared across the small space from her. 

 

“You’re a persistent one, aren’t you?” he chuckled. “Very well.” He removed his helmet, letting a long curtain of white hair cascade down his back. “I am Prince Lotor.” he smiled smugly, descending into an over dramatic bow. “Pleasure to make your acquaintance.”


	150. Prince

“You….you’re Prince Lotor?” Sarah asked, confused. “The fuck you doing out here then? Shouldn’t you be at central command? Or leading your troops or something?” 

 

“Now why would I want to do something like that when I’m having such a lovely conversation with you?” 

 

Sarah blinked, baffled. “The fuck kind of leader are you?”

 

“Who said I was a leader?” he asked, raising a brow suspiciously. 

 

“The intel I collected said Haggar brought you in to cover for Zarkon while he was in a coma.” she answered somewhat huffily, crossing her arms across her chest. 

 

“Wow, our data encryption sucks worse than I imagined.” he chuckled. 

 

“Sarah, where’d you go?” Krisox asked anxiously. 

 

“Why did you bring me to this flat area?” she asked, hoping to answer Krisox’s question without giving away to Lotor that her brother was on his way. 

 

“Isn’t it obvious? Cause it’s _flat_. Easy terrain.”

 

“For what?”

 

“I wanted to see the White Witch in action for myself.” he said leisurely. 

 

“I see you, Sarah, I’m coming as fast as I can!” Krisox said, panting slightly. 

 

“Why are you so curious?” she asked. She hoped if she could keep him talking, Krisox would get to her in time and she wouldn’t have to fight him. 

 

“You really don’t know how rare it is to find a White Witch, do you?” he chuckled. “You’re very sheltered.” She noticed his eyes dart behind her very quickly and knew he had seen Krisox. “You’re a clever little one, you are. But your brother will be of no help to you.” 

 

Behind her and through her comm link she heard Krisox cry out in surprise and pain. Whirling around, she gasped as she saw two Galra sentries dragging her brother’s unconscious body away. 

 

“Let’s get to it, shall we? I hope you don’t disappoint.” he said as he drew his short sword. 

 

Her mind worked quickly as she tried to find a way out, but she came up empty. Judging by how quickly Krisox was intercepted, Lotor had sentries hidden all over the place, ready and waiting. But even if he didn’t, if she tried to warp away, he would just follow her again. He had her truly trapped. 

 

“Fine.” she huffed, forming a sword made of light in her hand. 

 

“Wow, you really are amazing!” he commented, his face lighting up as he stared at the weapon she formed out of nothing. “Magically powerful, and from what my spies tell me, a dangerously clever strategist. You’d make a wonderful queen.” 

 

“What?” she asked, dumbfounded; there was so much to digest from what he just said. “Spies?”

 

He grinned devilishly. “The Blade of Marmora may have passed under my father’s radar, but you’ll find it has been on _mine_ for a very long time.” Her eyes widened, alarmed, causing him to chuckle; she was beginning to loath his chuckle. “And as for the queen comment-I had originally intended to woo Allura and rule the universe together…I may still, but….you’d make an excellent ruler by my side.”

 

“But-I’m married.” she stated, confused; she wasn’t used to someone blatantly hitting on her. 

 

“Sarah, I’m coming to you.” Shiro said fiercely over the comm link. To her surprise, no one objected, but she supposed they knew it would have been fruitless to try. 

 

“Oh yes, that’s right. To the Black Paladin, right? Haggar’s little pet Champion?”

 

“He’s not her Champion.” she hissed angrily. “He’s _mine_.”

 

Lotor’s devilish smirk grew. “Good. I like my partners to have a fire inside them.” 

 

She opened her mouth to snap at him, but she sensed Shiro getting closer and couldn’t help but smile. The next moment, the Black Lion flew over the foot hills, landing above her and roaring. Lotor fell backwards, losing composure as he scrambled to his feet and vanished. 

 

Shiro ran out, picking her up as he held her close. “Are you okay? He didn’t touch you, did he?” he asked as he let her down, framing her face as he looked her over. 

 

“I’m fine. You’re timing couldn’t have been more perfect.” she said, smiling as he visibly relaxed, his arms falling to her waist as he kissed her almost desperately. “We need to save Krisox though, some sentries were dragging him away but I didn’t get a chance to see where.”

 

“We’ll get him, don’t worry.” he said, sighing as he rested his forehead against hers. He kissed her again, for a long time, only breaking off when Allura ran up to them, interrupting them. 

 

“Krisox has been taken by some of the Galra forces.” she said grimly. 

 

“That fucking prince, kidnapped my brother probably to get me to him.” Sarah said irritably. 

 

“What…?” Shiro and Allura asked.

 

“He apparently thinks I’d make a good queen to rule beside him. Fat fucking chance. I told him we’re married but that didn’t seem to deter him.” she said, crossing her arms across her chest grumpily. 

 

Shiro wrapped his arms around her from behind, kissing her neck. “He’ll have to go through me first.” he said in a low, dangerous voice.


	151. Brother's Rescue

“Okay, Keith, Allura, and I will go in White to rescue Krisox.” Shiro said after they discussed the plan. 

 

“Why can’t I come?” Kayla asked huffily, crossing her arms over her chest. 

 

“Because mom and dad would kill me.” Sarah answered dryly. “You’re staying here.” 

 

“But with you not going on missions, they need someone who can do magic.” she countered. 

 

“She has a point.” Keith said with a shrug. “What?” he retorted when Sarah glared at him. “She does!” 

 

“It’s settled then, I’m going.” Kayla declared. 

 

“Hey, I’ll look after her.” Shiro said softly, kissing Sarah on the forehead. “Nothing will happen. I promise.” 

 

“I don’t like this….” she grumbled. “I’m supposed to look out for you and protect you, you’re my little sister.”

 

“And you’ve done a wonderful job, but I’m an adult, so I’m gonna do what I want.” Kayla said as she stuck her tongue out at her sister. 

 

“Fine. Don’t die or whatever.” Sarah growled irritably, turning and leaving the command center. 

 

“Love you, too!” Kayla called, an amused smile adorning her lips. 

* * *

“I do hope your sister doesn’t take too long.” Lotor said idly. “I want to secure her as my queen as soon as possible.”

 

“You’ve got to be joking.” Krisox harshly laughed from his cell. “You know she’s married, right? And she’s not polyamorous.”

 

“Oh, I know of my romantic rival.”

 

“Not much of a rival considering she already madly loves him. I’d say he’s won that competition before you even entered, mate.” Lotor rolled his eyes dismissively. “I don’t even know why you think you’d have a chance even if she wasn’t already in love.” 

 

“How do you mean?”

 

“You’re prince of the Galra Empire dude. Sarah named you guys public enemy number one the first day she learned of you. Honestly I’d wager that was the day that sealed the empire’s fate.” 

 

“You’ve lost me, drug lord.” 

 

“I’m saying that making an enemy of my sister was the worst and biggest mistake the Galra ever made.” Krisox said, smirking. “You were doomed the minute she heard of you.” 

* * *

“Okay, Krisox is in a room just around this corner.” Kayla said quietly as they hid from sentries. “He’s not alone….there’s a black presence and…a magenta…I wonder who that is?” 

 

“What’s the black presence?” Allura asked in a hushed tone. 

 

“Druid. Only Black Magic users have black quintessence.” 

 

“Do you think you could handle that?” Shiro asked hesitantly, watching her closely. 

 

“She won’t have to alone, I’ve faced some Druids myself.” Allura said, resting her hand on Kayla’s shoulder. 

 

Shiro nodded. “Okay, you two take care of the druid, Keith and I will take care of the other person, and then we’ll get Krisox and get the fuck out. Ready?” 

 

“Ready.” the other three said together. 

 

It all happened so fast, she barely had time to think. She hadn’t ever actually used her magic for any kind of action before. She mostly projected auras. She focused almost all of her energy in her fist and punched the druid right in the face. Black and white sparks burst from the creature and she stared at her arm; as impossible as it might seem, she had almost forgotten the ancient power that resided within her. 

 

“Aha! If it isn’t my romantic rival, the one and only Takashi Shirogane.” 

 

Kayla looked up, raising an eyebrow at the Galra with white hair who was facing down Shiro and Keith. “Krisox, what’s he talking about?” she asked as she helped Allura free him. 

 

“The Galra prince has it in his head that our dear sister is going to be his queen.” he answered, rubbing his wrists. 

 

“But….she’s _married_.”

 

“Yea, that doesn’t seem to bother him.” 

 

“We aren’t romantic rivals. Sarah is never going to do anything with you ever, and you are not going to touch her.” Shiro said firmly. 

 

“Can we get going?” Krisox asked, slightly anxiously. 

 

“Why don’t we take this guy back with us as a hostage?” Keith asked. 

 

“I’d rather not.” Allura said, disgusted. 

 

“Oh, Allura, there you are! My old flame.” Lotor said in a sing-song voice. 

 

“I was _not_ your old flame.” she growled. 

 

“Aww, don’t say that….”

 

“Can we _go_?” Kayla asked. 

 

“Wait where’s my amour?” Lotor asked, confused as he looked the party over. “I was hoping she’d come rescue her brother.” 

 

“She’s taking a break from missions.” Kayla answered, moving to the door with Krisox. 

 

“Awww….well that’s no fun.” he said before pressing a button on his arm. 

 

Suddenly, alarms were blaring all around them as lights flashed repeatedly. 

 

“Shit-go go!” Shiro yelled over the cacophony. 

 

Kayla kept close to Krisox, genuinely scared of the consequences should they not make it out safely. Luckily for them, they had a small Lion that could turn invisible. 

 

“So it was a trap for Sarah?” Kayla asked Krisox as Shiro piloted them out of Galra space. 

 

“Yep. He is absurdly determined to have her as his queen.” Krisox said, shaking his head. “Not that she wouldn’t make a great queen-just not ever with _him_.” 

 

“There actually was a society that we helped save that called her their queen.” Allura said with a smile. 

 

“Well, yea, there ya go.”

* * *

“You guys okay?” Sarah asked, meeting them in the hanger when White landed. 

 

“Yea, we’re fine.” Krisox said as she hugged her siblings. “It was a trap for you, so it’s good you didn’t come.”

 

“That Lotor motherfucker.” she growled. 

 

“Yea, the shit sends his love.” he chuckled as she playfully shoved him. 

 

“You okay?” Sarah asked a few hours later as she relaxed on their bed. Shiro moving about, getting himself ready for bed, but he seemed on edge slightly. 

 

“I don’t like that the Galra prince has taken an interest in you. I know there’s nothing we can really do about it, he seems stupidly stubborn…it just makes me…I’m still so afraid I might lose you at any moment.” he said hesitantly. 

 

Sarah held out her hands, pulling him towards her and the bed when he took them. “No one and nothing is going to take me away from you.” she said confidently. “That Lotor fuck doesn’t know who he’s dealing with.” She kissed him lovingly, smiling as she felt him relax under her touch. “Our love will bring the Galra empire as it is now to its _knees_.” 

 

“I love it when you talk like that….” he murmured, caressing her cheek. “You really would make an amazing queen. I wish I could give you an empire to rule…I’m afraid you might have to settle with dominion over my heart for now.” 

 

“You can be so sappy.” she laughed, embracing him. 

 

“I know, but you love it, don’t you?”

 

“You know I do….gives me warm fuzzy nice feelings.” she smiled as he chuckled, kissing her again. 


	152. Unpleasant Surprise

“Well I’m glad the kids are doing well.” Shiro commented as he, Sarah, and Keith browsed the open air mall. They had been tasked with finding various odds and ends parts for Hunk and Coran, while the rest of the team were split up looking for other supplies. 

 

“Mom says they’re really loving it there. They’ve got the school systems back up and going and dad said they’re working with the Lost Girls to bring some of the kids from the Deep Slums up top for school!” Sarah said enthusiastically. 

 

“Did they not have a school system?” 

 

“They did but it wasn’t quite as organised, and it depended on who would volunteer to teach. Whereas Stiea K2′s system had professional teachers who had spent their whole lives studying and training to teach.” 

 

“Damn, the more I hear about it, the more Stiea K2 sounds like a utopia.” Keith said. 

 

“Well that was definitely their goal. It’s really hard to say whether or not they succeeded, it kinda depends on who you ask.” 

 

“Makes sense.” Shiro said with a nod. “The Deep Slums definitely didn’t seem to be faring all that well, though I only saw a small part of it.” 

 

“It’s mostly unregulated from what Krisox has told me.” Sarah shrugged. “He hasn’t actually told me a whole lot though.” 

 

“I wonder why?”

 

“Hey, is this one of the things we’re looking for?” Keith interrupted, looking at a mess of parts strewn about on a table. 

 

“Hmmm….maybe.” Shiro mused, joining his brother by the table. “Sarah, do you have the pictures on your phone? Sarah?” Turning he found Sarah frozen where they had just been, her eyes wide and unfocused. Frowning, he cautiously approached her. “Sarah?” he asked, delicately resting a hand on her shoulder. 

 

She jumped slightly, coming back to the present, meeting his gaze. “There’s druids here.” she said urgently. “We need to hide, if I sensed them, I know they’ve sensed me.” 

 

He nodded, waving Keith over. The three hurried into a dark storage container nearby, hiding behind stacks of merchandise and boxes as they watched the crowds pass by. A few moments later, three druids slowly walked past. One paused in front of the opening, causing Sarah to grab Shiro’s hand tightly, holding her breath until the druid continued on. 

 

Breathing a sigh of relief, she leaned her back against the stack of boxes and slid down until she was sitting. “You okay?” he asked, sitting beside her. 

 

“Yeah I just forgot how heavy their dark magic is.” she said, leaning her head against his shoulder. “It almost makes it hard to breathe.” 

 

He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, kissing the top of her head, and was about to say something when the door slammed shut. 

 

“What the-?” Keith began as someone locked it from the outside. Suddenly, the container they were in was lifted into the air. Keith fell against the wall, bracing himself against it and a pallet. “Where is this going?”

 

“I don’t know, but we’re going to find out.” Shiro said grimly. “Hey, hey…” he said softly as Sarah held onto him tightly, her fear of the dark overcoming her. “I’m right here, don’t worry, look…” He powered up his arm, casting an eerie purple glow on them and their surroundings. 

 

“Uh-here…” Keith said awkwardly, pulling a glowstick out of one of his pockets and cracking it. After shaking it a bit, he passed it to Sarah as Shiro powered down his arm. She smiled appreciatively, relaxing. 

 

“I wonder what all this stuff is….” she mused after a moment, standing up and opening one of the boxes.

 

“What is it?” Shiro asked, alarmed, when she began coughing violently and backed away frantically. He stood up and grasped her shoulders, scanning her face as she regained composure. “What’s wrong?”

 

“I-I don’t know what’s in the boxes, but it’s dark magic, very dark magic.” She paused. “I think I might know where we’re going….” she said fearfully. “What do we do?” she asked as Shiro’s face fell. 

 

“We’ll figure something out.” he whispered, holding her. “We always do.” 

* * *

“Stay low, stay quiet.” Shiro whispered as he led them across the cargo bay and through a side door. “I think we can escape in a pod without raising too much suspicion.” 

 

“Oh, it’s too late for that.” someone said from behind them. 

 

Turning around they saw two druids just behind them. Two more flickered into existence ahead of them, effectively blocking all paths to escape. Sarah, Shiro, and Keith braced themselves for combat. She glared from druid to druid. It was a tense stand-off, and she didn’t see how she, Shiro, and Keith were going to make it out unscathed. But she was determined to try. 

 

“Stand down. You are out matched, you cannot win and you cannot escape.” one in the middle said. “Unless….”

  
“Unless what?” Keith demanded. 

  
“The Dark Witch has further plans for her…. _champion_.”

  
Sarah felt her blood run cold and her eyes widen as she registered what the druid meant. “No.” she said firmly. “No. You can’t take him, not again. I won’t let you touch him.”

 

“That’s right.” Keith said fiercely. 

  
“Then you will all die.” 

  
“We’ll see about that.” 

  
“Stop! Stop.” Shiro said, standing between Sarah and Keith and the druids with his hands raised. “If….” he began, turning to the druids. “If I hand myself over, you have to swear you’ll let them go unharmed.”

  
“Shiro, no!” Sarah and Keith said almost in sync. 

  
“Shiro, no, please.” Sarah begged, running up to him and grabbing his hand. “Please, no, I can’t-I can’t let them take you, not again….” she cried, kissing his hand before holding it against her chest. 

  
“We swear. If you willing hand yourself over, they will be allowed to leave this place unharmed.” the druid said, a hint of a smirk in their tone. 

  
“And un-traced.” Shiro amended, his gaze firm and unyielding.

    
“Very well.” 

  
“Shiro, no!” Keith insisted. 

  
Her husband turned to her, a sad smile adorning his face as he slid the hand she held up to caress her cheek. “I love you so much….words are not enough to convey the depth of my love for you.”

 

“Please don’t do this, Shiro.” she sobbed. 

  
“Sarah, please understand.” he said, gentle yet firm. He kissed her forehead for a long moment before continuing. “This is my choice. Please respect that.”

  
“Shiro, you don’t have to do this, there’s another way!” Keith continued as Sarah completely broke down into tears. 

  
“Keith,” Shiro began as he took a few steps towards the druids. “I need you and Sarah to go. I need you to help Sarah go. Make sure both of you get home safely.” He paused and half turned, watching his brother carefully. “Can you do that for me?” 

  
“Shiro, please-”

  
“Keith.” Shiro said, slightly stern now. 

  
There was a long moment of silence before Keith spoke again. “I-I can do that.” he said, his voice thick with emotion. He knelt down next to Sarah and eased her up. “We-we have to go now….” 

 

“L-let it be known.” Sarah began fiercely just as Keith turned to go. “that the Black Lion herself could not keep me from Shiro. _Nothing_ can.”  
“Go, before our patience wanes.” the druid growled. 

  
“I love you, Shiro.” Sarah said tearfully as Keith tugged at her arm. “I love you.” She strained against Keith’s grip, not wanting to lose sight of her husband, only to be foiled by the druids closing the large, heavy blast doors. 

  
“We have to go…” Keith said weakly. 

  
Sarah turned and met his gaze and nodded. She knew that he was feeling the same fear she was. She felt at a loss for what to do, wanting to collapse in her bed and cry for hours. She focused on Keith’s running, keeping pace with him, and trying desperately to not think of the things Haggar would do to Shiro now that he was back in her custody. 

* * *

“Where’s Shiro?!” Allura asked when Sarah and Keith returned to the castle. 

 

“He-he’s….” Sarah sobbed. 

 

“He gave himself up….so we could escape….” Keith answered, his tone hollow, his voice cracking. 

 

“Haggar wanted him, she has more plans for him, oh _god_ …” Sarah cried as her friend held her. 

 

“Hey, we’ll get him back, okay?” Allura assured her. “We’ll rescue him in no time. We will.” 

 

“Where’s Takashi?” Florence asked as she approached the group, her brows furrowed. 

 

“The druids…have him again….” Allura said hesitantly. 

 

Florence’s eyes grew wide and furious. “Then what are we doing just standing here?” she asked, turning on her heel and running out of the room with Keith hot on her trail. 

 

“It’s no use, it’s so heavily fortified….” Sarah whimpered as she and Allura trailed after them. “There’s no sneaking in.” 

 

“We will find a way. I promise you that.” 

 

“Yea….where there’s a will there’s a way….” Sarah murmured thoughtfully. 

 

“Sarah…?” Allura asked uncertainly. 

 

“I have to make some calls.” she said, turning on her heel and running to the hanger Darling was in. 

 

“Sarah, what’s your plan?” Allura asked as she ran after her. 

 

“I’m going to raise an army. And we will storm the druid stronghold and demolish it.”


	153. Need an Army

“Krisox, how many of your men can you mobilise on relatively short notice?” Sarah asked her brother as she and several others were gathered around the long table. 

 

“Um….they kind of think they’ve already done their part of our agreement to be perfectly honest.” he said reluctantly. “They feel the space battle is enough involvement to fulfill the deal.”

 

“Did you tell them it’s not?” Pidge asked heatedly.

 

“Never mind that, I don’t want it to feel like we’re forcing them into this. What if I made a new deal?” Sarah said, waving her hand dismissively. 

 

“What are you offering?” her brother asked, frowning in confusion and curiosity. 

 

“I’ll help Nitro absorb Reign. That’s really your only competition, right? And you’ve planned on absorbing it for…fuck if I know how long.” 

 

“And how exactly are you going to do that?” Krisox asked with his trademark smirk. 

 

“I don’t quite know yet, but I’m a woman of my word, so I’ll figure it out.” 

 

“Well that’s not like you at all. You never jump in without a plan.”

 

“My husband is being held captive by the most powerful Dark Witch in the universe. I don’t know what she has planned, but I know what she’s done and what she’s capable of, and it scares me just s-so much…” she cried. 

 

“Hey, we’re gonna save him.” Keith said, hugging her awkwardly. 

 

“I know…I know…I just hope it doesn’t take too long…I think about what she could be doing and-”

 

“Don’t. Don’t think about that. Just focus on getting him out of there.”

 

Sarah nodded, taking a few deep breaths to steady herself. “So…so yea. If you don’t mind, could you set up a meeting?”

 

“Sure thing.” Krisox said as he typed away at his phone. 

 

“What else did you need, Sarah?” Allura asked from the other side of the table. 

 

“I…” she hesitated, taking a deep breath. “I need to make contact with the dragons.” 

 

“What? Why?” 

 

“You aren’t actually going to agree to their plan, are you?” Krisox asked incredulously. 

 

“Well-”

 

“No, I won’t let you.” he said fiercely. 

 

“Excuse me?” Sarah asked, raising a skeptical eyebrow and crossing her arms over her chest. “You won’t ‘let’ me?”

 

“You heard me.” he said, also crossing his arms across his chest.

 

“Hey, look, Sarah can do what she wants, but, please…” Allura said as she stood between them, blocking their line of sight. “Sarah, please reconsider. We don’t want to lose you….”

 

“If you had let me finish….” she huffed irritably. “I was going to say….I will agree to help them imprison Haggar. But I won’t say _how_ I will help.”

 

“Clever. And if the dragons see past your word play?”

 

“I’ll….figure something else out.” Sarah answered, fidgeting slightly. “What? I’ll figure something out!” she said indignantly under Allura’s skeptical gaze. 

 

“Okay, well we’re closest to the Aywei system, so why don’t you and I go down in White to speak to them.” Allura sighed. “I think we’re only a few hours away so I won’t bother with a wormhole. In the meantime why don’t you fill us in on Reign.” 

 

“Sure thing-oh! First, Pidgey,” Sarah began turning to the Green Paladin. “Think you could do me a solid?” 

 

“Uh, probably, depends on what it is.” she said, raising an eyebrow. 

 

“I have a spare Galra droid from when we helped liberate Stiea K2, I’d like to have it sneak aboard Galra ships, scan them somehow, and transmit the scans back to us so we can have maps of the ships, and maybe even Zarkon’s central command someday.” 

 

Pidge grinned mischievously. “I’ll see what I can do.” 


	154. Recruitment

“Wish the dragons weren’t so damn cryptic.” Sarah grumbled as she, Kayla, and Krisox navigated through Vaynov’s bustling streets. 

 

“I think its an ancient being thing.” Krisox commented. “Not that I’ve met any other ancient creatures. It just seems like something all of them would do.”

 

“I can see that. So where’s the meeting?” 

 

“Same place we had our first official meeting.“

 

“The first meeting?” Kayla asked, confused.

 

“Oh, yea, when I found out you were captured I had this whole big assault plan that required an army we didn’t have.” Sarah answered.

 

“So….you’re basically asking for the same thing, just for someone else.”

 

Sarah blinked, surprised. “Oh….”

 

“Sarah doesn’t fuck around when someone she loves has been taken.” Krisox chuckled. 

* * *

“Hello, mates.” Krisox greeted the room at large after everybody settled in. “First off, as you can clearly see, Kayla is back with us safe and sound.” There was a long round of cheering and relieved, gruff voices telling Kayla how much they missed her before Krisox managed to get back in control. “It really is good to have you back.” Krisox said warmly, ruffling her hair and laughing when she groaned in annoyance. “My other sister, Sarah, has unfortunately had her husband taken by the Galra. She’s here once again to ask for our help.” 

 

“Okay, but we already did our part.” Avve grunted. Many of the others nodded in agreement. “This ain’t our fight.”

 

Ignoring his last statement, Sarah calmly addressed the first. “Yes, you did, and I appreciate it. Really, I do. I don’t expect you to help me once again without getting something in return.” 

 

“And what are you offering?”

 

“Reign. I will help Nitro absorb Reign.” Her words were met with muttering, some curious, others skeptical. 

 

“And how do you plan on doing that?” Avve pressed, his gaze piercing. 

 

“I don’t fully know yet. Off the top of my head, I’m thinking propaganda to convince the members that joining Nitro is in their best interest, and turn them against Aunchora.” 

 

The moss alien laughed in a bark-like manner. “That’s off the top of your head?”

 

“Yea…” she said defensively, her brows furrowing. 

 

Avve watched her for a long moment before turning to Krisox. “Why haven’t you brought this one in before? We could use a mind like that.” 

 

“Ehh, long story short, we had a rough relationship as kids.” her brother answered dismissively. “So? If you want more time to think it over I can give you that. And once again, I’m not gonna force anyone. You say yes out of your own volition.” 

 

There was a round of murmuring before Avve spoke. “Well, I’m game. We’ll likely need to discuss it more with the leaders here and those who couldn’t make it. But I’m down. Don’t worry, princess,” he said, winking at Sarah. “we’ll get your hubby back.” Krisox laughed at Sarah’s flustered, surprised face, before dismissing the party. 

* * *

“Okay, you have your dragons, and you have most of Nitro. Now what?” Krisox asked as they made the trek back to his ship.

 

“What do you mean I have Nitro, they said they still needed to discuss it.” she pointed out, confused.

 

“Where Avve goes, most of the rest go as well. He’s extremely influential.” 

 

“Oh….that’s good, I guess…..hmmm….” she trailed off as she thought. “Do you think it’s enough?” she asked in a small voice, looking to her older brother for guidance with wide, unsure eyes.

 

Krisox met her gaze and thought for a moment. “Well, if you want to erase all uncertainty and make sure the odds are almost one hundred percent in our favour….maybe reach out to Unipeace? Through mom and dad.” 

 

“Yea…” she nodded. “Yea that’s a good idea.”

* * *

“Prince Lotor, news from your spy network.” the druid said from the door way. 

 

“Let’s hear it then.” Lotor said idly as he stared at a map of part of the Galra empire, bored, his eyes unfocused. 

 

“There are murmurs of a vast army being formed. A mixture of criminals and dragons.” 

 

“Criminals and dragons….?” Lotor asked, confused. “Who could bring those two parties together?” When it dawned on him, he smirked devilishly. “Oh, my love….only the White Witch could pull scum and cut throats and dragons together to fight.” he murmured to himself. 

 

“I’m sorry, sir, what did you say?” the druid asked, rather suspiciously. 

 

“Nothing. Do you know how old this information is?”

 

“At most a week has passed.” 

 

“And from what I know she works fast….but why all of a sudden-?” he said to himself, his eyes going wide as he looked up. “Haggar, she has a special prisoner, does she not? Who is it?”

 

“That is not for me to discu-”

 

“Answer me. That’s an order.” Lotor said, his voice firm and commanding. 

 

“It is….the Black Paladin, her Champion.”

 

“Aw, crap.” he sighed, sinking into his chair. “Of course, _of course_ ….You are not to report to Haggar about this army until we have more concrete information.” he said, pointing at the druid. “I don’t want her to get worked up if its nothing but talk.” 

 

“Of…course, sir. Excuse me.” The druid bowed out of the room. 

 

Lotor got the sense that Haggar would find out sooner rather than later, but his cover was solid: it was perfectly acceptable to not want to alarm anyone over rumors and gossip. And hopefully it would give him time to find some way of countering Sarah. He had plans in motion that would be utterly ruined by an attack from a massive army so soon. He had to find a way to stop her in her tracks. Unfortunately, he realised as he grimaced, there was likely only one thing that would stop her: Shiro being returned to her. He sighed. “What I do for love….and ambition….she better thank me for this.” 


	155. Unexpected Ally

“I’m sorry, sweetie,” Sarah’s mom said apologetically, her large eyes sad. “Unipeace is adamant that they cannot risk entangling with the Empire for a matter such as this.” 

 

Sarah gripped the edge of Darling’s computer desk, trying to fight back tears. “We’ll….we’ll manage. T-thank you for asking.” 

 

“It’ll be okay, sweetheart, you’ll see. Shiro will be back with you safe and sound before you know it.” Stena said with a comforting smile. 

 

Sarah nodded appreciatively, offering a small smile in return. “How are the kids doing?” 

 

“Adjusting very well. They’re sleeping now, they divided you and Kayla’s room amongst themselves. I hope that’s alright, I didn’t think you would mind but….?” 

 

“That’s fine.” Sarah said warmly. “Give them my love. I’ll talk to you later mom.” 

 

“Let me know when you plan out the attack, okay? I could try Unipeace again, or maybe get advice, _something_ ….”

 

“I will.” 

 

“Love you sweetheart. Give my love to your brother and sister for me.” 

 

“Will do, love you too.” she said, ending the video call.

 

Sarah looked up when someone knocked on Darling’s open hatch. “Any luck?” Krisox asked, resting against her ship’s walls with his hands in his pockets. 

 

“No dice. They don’t wanna risk it.” she said, deflated. 

 

“Well, hey, you tried. It probably would’ve been overkill anyway. I’d wager you could take over the universe with what you have now.” 

 

Sarah smiled up at him appreciatively before sighing. “Let’s get planning then, shall we?” 

* * *

“Yo, Shirogane, anyone there?” Lotor asked in a hushed tone outside Shiro’s cell. 

 

He heard movement, followed by a hoarse, “What do you want?” 

 

“A certain someone is amassing an army to storm this place and save you. But that interferes with a few plans of my own, so I’m gonna spring you.”

 

“W-what?!” Shiro asked in complete shock. 

 

“You heard me. I figure the only way to stop Sarah attacking is to deliver you.”

 

“But-wh-how?” he asked before coughing roughly. 

 

“Never you mind. Just be ready to move. Uh-can you move?” Lotor paused, realising he didn’t know what Haggar had done to him. 

 

He heard the Paladin grunting painfully before weakly saying, “Y-yea, I can move.” 

 

Lotor grimaced; that didn’t sound promising at all. He sighed. _I’ll figure something out. I always do._

* * *

“Alright, we have about thirty earth minutes.” Lotor said gruffly, half carrying Shiro down the hall towards the escape pod. The human was in really rough condition, but it didn’t look like anything he couldn’t bounce back from. He had heard the humans were notorious for their ability to recover from wounds and injuries. 

 

The alarm he had tripped had successfully drawn all active sentries to the source, allowing him to sneak Shiro out of his cell and down the halls. He had prepared the escape pod earlier that day, wanting to make this escape as streamlined as possible. 

 

“Okay, almost there.” he grunted, approaching the small hanger. When the door automatically opened, he came to a sudden halt at the sight of two sentries inspecting the pod he had waiting. “Shit.” he cursed under his breath. Raising his hand, the bots rose into the air, crumpling like tin cans when Lotor squeezed his hand into a fist. 

 

“W-was that-can you-?” Shiro asked, wincing in pain. 

 

“Yea, whatever, never mind that.” the prince answered brusquely. “This pod is set to take you close to Stiea K2, I figured you could find your own way home from there.” Lotor eased the man into the pilot seat and made to leave.

 

“Wait!” Shiro said, trying to ignore his pain as he twisted his body to face Lotor. “Whatever your reasons, I’d still like to say thank you.” 

 

The prince stared at him for a long time before shaking his head and departing. Soon after the hatch closed, the ship took off. Lotor watched it for a second before looking at the sentries he had crushed and sighing. “Went and made a mess of things…” he grumbled to himself. 

* * *

“Sarah!” Allura called frantically, interrupting the meeting she was holding with some of the Nitro minor leaders. “Unipeace said they picked up a distress beacon from a lone Galra craft. They’re towing the craft in as we speak.” 

 

“Why would they do that?” Sarah asked, frowning. 

 

“The person in the craft-they say it’s Shiro!” 

 

“ _WHAT?!_ ” 

 

“Coran’s getting the telleduv ready to go, I should be able to open a wormhole any minute now.”

 

“Let’s go!” 

* * *

“You have to let me go, you have to let me contact my wife, please!” Shiro said desperately as Unipeace medical personnel ushered him along to their recently set up hospital. 

 

“We’ve already contacted Princess Allura, she and your wife and the other Paladins will be arriving soon. For now, we need to you get you into a healing pod.” a pink, feathered alien told him as she analysed his vitals on her holoscreen. 

 

“But that could take hours…” he said weakly; he was tired and in so much pain, but he wanted nothing more than to see Sarah. 

 

“Not our pods. Medical technology has come a long way in ten thousand years. It shouldn’t be more than thirty minutes, depending on your injuries. But the faster we get you in, the faster you can get out.” she finished pointedly. 

 

He sighed; she had a point. It’d be better for Sarah to see him healed and not in agony…imagining her reaction made his heart ache. 

 

To his surprise, his in-laws were waiting in the medical room. “I leave you in capable hands.” the pink alien said, bowing her head slightly as she departed. 

 

Sarah’s parents eased him into a medical pod, Stena adjusting the settings as N’eion got him comfortable, both assuring him that Sarah would be arriving soon. “Just rest for now.” Stena said, easing the door shut. “Rest…”

 

One short dreamless sleep later, he blinked several times as his eyes adjusted to the bright lights of the hospital. “Shiro!” he heard someone call as the door fully swung open. Looking down, he felt all of his tension melt away as Sarah wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him to her. His arms slipped around her middle, holding her against him as he kissed her desperately. 

 

“I-I missed you so much…” she cried. 

 

“And I you, princess.” he murmured, caressing her cheek. He was so absorbed in their reunion he almost missed Allura about to ask how he escaped, only to be shushed by Stena. 

 

“You wanna lay down for a bit?” she asked gently, her soft hands framing his face. 

 

“Yea…that sounds nice….” 


	156. Debrief

“Why’d you do it, baby?” Sarah asked softly as she held Shiro in their bed. “Why’d you give yourself up? We could’ve found a way to escape…”

 

“I didn’t want to risk it….there was a chance that they’d let you go, alive and unharmed, I had to take it. I don’t care what happens to me, I just care about you being safe.” he murmured against her chest. 

 

“But _I_ care what happens to you.” 

 

“I know you do…” he said, smiling. “I knew you’d find some way to rescue me, so I wasn’t worried about being in Haggar’s clutches for long.” 

 

“I’d go through hell if I had to for you, babe.” 

 

“I know. As scared as I might be in this war….I know you’ll always have my back. And I’m a little less scared because of it.” He pushed himself up, hovering over her as he cupped her cheek. “You know there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you, right? I’d fight the Guardians themselves if it meant protecting you, keeping you happy.” She blushed, nodding as she smiled, and he kissed her softly. 

 

“Sometimes I can barely believe you’re my husband….” she murmured as he changed positions until she was resting against his chest. “I can’t believe how lucky I am to have you.”

 

“Honestly I think I’m the lucky one.” he commented, smirking slightly. 

 

Sarah snuggled closer to him, at a loss for what to say; luckily their connection helped her out. He kissed the top of her head, his arms holding her tighter. “Let’s take back the universe from Zarkon together.” she murmured sleepily. “Our love is more powerful than his empire.” 

 

“I’ll tear him down with my bare hands if you want me to.” he said softly. “I’ll give you the Galra empire and you can be the queen I know you’re destined to be.” 

 

“And you can be my king!” she giggled softly. He chuckled. 

 

As they got closer to sleep, he began humming one of her favourite lullabies, easing her into splendid dreams.

* * *

“Takashi, I’m so glad your safe.” Shiro’s mom said as she hugged her son tightly for a long time. 

 

“After the debriefing, I want to introduce you to our kids.” he said, smiling broadly. 

 

Florence’s eyes flickered to Sarah for half a second, uncertain, before she returned the smile. “Can’t wait.”

 

Turning, Shiro took Sarah’s hand as they walked to the room they were told to meet in. It was a large, busy center of activity and planning for Unipeace. Allura was with a few leaders, all gathered around a holotable in the middle of the room. Their conversations died down as Shiro and Sarah reached the table. 

 

“Shiro, if you don’t mind, could you tell us how you escaped?” a [stern-looking alien](http://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=http%3A%2F%2Ft-eight.deviantart.com%2Fart%2F01-Alien-507003646&t=ZTdiNTkxZTVkMzg2NTI3MDliY2FhNDVlYTI5NTVhMTc5MTE2NmRkZSxPMWdPbEtMYw%3D%3D&b=t%3AUp-8vRCgTYJDx5VxPdiFaA&p=http%3A%2F%2Fterezisexbuttpyrope.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F160794550530%2Freturned&m=0) next to Allura asked. 

 

“Sure. I was quite surprised actually-Prince Lotor helped me escape.” 

 

“What?” Allura gasped. 

 

Surprised murmurings spread around the table until the alien raised his hand, silencing them. He gestured for Shiro to continue with a nod of his head. 

 

“He set up a distraction, set up an escape vessel ,and then half carried me out. I was in pretty bad shape, so I don’t remember a whole lot. But I do remember he explained himself. He said he heard Sarah was amassing an army to come and rescue me.” He felt Sarah tense slightly beside him, her eyes on her fidgeting fingers as she avoided the gazes of those around the table whose eyes found her often. He covertly slipped his arm around her waist, smiling as she returned the gesture and relaxed at his touch. “He said that it would interfere with plans of his own, and he figured the only way to stop her would be to free me.” 

 

“That’s concerning….that he has plans of his own of some kind of covert nature….” Allura said, deep in thought. 

 

Glancing down, he found Sarah frowning. “What is it, princess?” he asked softly as the others around the table began talking amongst themselves. 

 

“I don’t like that he can predict my actions and stuff with such accuracy….” she pouted. 

 

Shiro smiled, cupping her cheek with his free hand and gently turning her to face him. “There’s nothing wrong with that….so you’re predictable when it comes to me being in danger….I am too, when you’re in danger. It’s just because we love each other.” She smiled appreciatively, rising on her tip toes to kiss him sweetly. 

 

“Yo, Sarah, the guys are waiting to hear from you.” Krisox said, abruptly butting into their private moment. 

 

“Oh, yea, I should…address that…” she murmured. 

 

“Address what?” Shiro asked.

 

“The uh armies Lotor told you about…I made some pretty big promises to get them to agree to help save you. Which is a service that’s no longer needed….”

 

“But…?” Shiro prompted.

 

“Well….I don’t want to lose them as an asset…” she mumbled, staring at her hands. 

 

“Yea, but they didn’t do anything so you don’t owe them.” Krisox said bluntly. 

 

“I know that, I just….” she trailed off, gesturing vaguely with her hands, unsure how to explain. 

 

“Sarah, I understand you want to keep Nitro and the dragons in your back pocket, but you shouldn’t feel obligated to do so.” 

 

“Wait, the dragons?” Shiro asked, alarmed. “Tell me you didn’t-”

 

“I just said I’d help them, I didn’t promise _how_.” she assured him. 

 

“Sarah, you know what they want from you, you can’t-” he cried, starting to get slightly frantic. 

 

“Hey, shush, hey,” Sarah said softly, framing his face with her hands. “I don’t have to with the dragons. I can just tell them the deal is off. Okay?” She smiled tentatively, watching his face with careful eyes. 

 

He leaned into one of her hands, covering it with his own, relishing in her touch. “I just want to keep you safe forever…” he murmured. 

 

“I know. I know, baby.” 

 

“Okay, I agree the dragons can suck it, but Nitro’s gonna need an answer and they’re ready now.” Krisox said, interrupting again. 

 

Sarah sighed. “I’m gonna go do that…”

 

“Okay. I want to introduce my mom to the kids so I’ll go do that. They’re at your parents’ house, right?” Shiro said, trying to calm down from a few moments before. He was at least successfully faking it, as Sarah didn’t seem to pick up on anything. 

 

“Yea. Dad at least should be home, mom might be helping Unipeace with all the…medical….stuff.” she said, trailing off awkwardly. “I’ll see you later, love.” 

 

“Later,” he said, smiling as they shared a chaste kiss. 

 

He watched her walk away with her brother for a few moments before turning and exiting himself. His mother was close to where he had left her a short while ago. “Ready?” he asked, smiling; he was a little excited for his mother to meet his children. 

* * *

“Oh, wow, five?” his mother whispered in astonishment as the kids gathered before them. 

 

“Yea,” he chuckled. “This is the oldest, Tei, then we have V’selle, Aury, Nec, and Chi.” he said, hovering his hand over the head of each as he announced their name. “Kids, this is my mani.” 

 

“Mani…?” Florence asked as the kids ooh’d and aah’d. 

 

“It’s uh….it means mother. I don’t actually know what language.”

 

“Oh, interesting…” she murmured, before smiling warmly and kneeling so she was eye level with her grandchildren. “It’s very nice to meet you all.” 

 

“It’s very nice to meet you, too, gram-mani.” Tei said, stepping forward and holding out one of her hands. She beamed when Florence took it and gave a little shake. “You’ll have to forgives them, they is shy.” she said somewhat pompously. “I is not shy, no.” 

 

“No, I can tell, you aren’t shy at all.” Florence said with a chuckle. 

 

Shiro and his mother spent the afternoon with his kids, only interrupted when Sarah’s father announced dinner was ready. Florence loved watching Shiro interact with his children; it warmed her heart to know that, even this far from Earth, he could still have a family. She was already in love with the children. And she knew they could not find a better father than her son. She just secretly wished they had a mother to match….she still wasn’t convinced of Sarah’s merit. 

* * *

The following month found the Voltron team familiarising themselves with Unipeace. Allura attended several classified with the higher ups of Unipeace. After a few of these meetings she reported back to her team that Unipeace was officially combining forces with them, in the hope that their alliance would bring a swift end to Zarkon’s tyranny. 

 

The castle grew more crowded as Sarah’s parents and kids moved back in. As Stena had extensive knowledge of human biology, she thought it best to accompany the team. And as N’eion was unwilling to part from her, and the children had no one else to stay with, the additions were made without complaint. 

 

I’ntayn gave Shiro a way to contact her directly, before acquiring a ship and returning to her home. She promised to keep in contact, both through the device she gave Shiro and the Lions. 

 

Sarah quickly found out that Krisox and Unipeace had a tense partnership, in that the latter wasn’t keen on joining forces with a criminal empire, but desperate times called for desperate measures. Krisox certainly didn’t help matters, constantly making snide comments about how the Stiean elite had completely forgotten about the Deep Slums, or were simply unwilling to do anything. They insisted that they would do what they could after they freed the universe from Zarkon’s clutches. 

 

Over the course of the month, Sarah began to notice that Shiro seemed extremely reluctant to ever leave her side. He would make excuses here and there and become incredibly anxious when they would have to separate. She attributed this to his fears of losing her, and tried to accommodate his desire to stay by her as often as she could. She also noticed that his mother was not warming up to her. Though Shiro would try to insist otherwise, she couldn’t shake the feeling that Florence felt nothing but disdain when it came to Sarah. The latter just wished she could figure out why. 

 

“She’ll come around.” Shiro said as they got ready for bed one night. “Once she gets to know you a little better.” When met with silence, he turned, finding Sarah lost in thought, her eyes unfocused and unsure. “Hey,” he said softly, wrapping his arms around her midsection and kissing her forehead. “Give it time. You’ll see.” 


	157. Another Nightmare

The following month found the Voltron team familiarising themselves with Unipeace. Allura attended several classified with the higher ups of Unipeace. After a few of these meetings she reported back to her team that Unipeace was officially combining forces with them, in the hope that their alliance would bring a swift end to Zarkon’s tyranny. 

 

The castle grew more crowded as Sarah’s parents and kids moved back in. As Stena had extensive knowledge of human biology, she thought it best to accompany the team. And as N’eion was unwilling to part from her, and the children had no one else to stay with, the additions were made without complaint. 

 

I’ntayn gave Shiro a way to contact her directly, before acquiring a ship and returning to her home. She promised to keep in contact, both through the device she gave Shiro and the Lions. 

 

Sarah quickly found out that Krisox and Unipeace had a tense partnership, in that the latter wasn’t keen on joining forces with a criminal empire, but desperate times called for desperate measures. Krisox certainly didn’t help matters, constantly making snide comments about how the Stiean elite had completely forgotten about the Deep Slums, or were simply unwilling to do anything. They insisted that they would do what they could after they freed the universe from Zarkon’s clutches. 

 

Over the course of the month, Sarah began to notice that Shiro seemed extremely reluctant to ever leave her side. He would make excuses here and there and become incredibly anxious when they would have to separate. She attributed this to his fears of losing her, and tried to accommodate his desire to stay by her as often as she could. She also noticed that his mother was not warming up to her. Though Shiro would try to insist otherwise, she couldn’t shake the feeling that Florence felt nothing but disdain when it came to Sarah. The latter just wished she could figure out why. 

 

“She’ll come around.” Shiro said as they got ready for bed one night. “Once she gets to know you a little better.” When met with silence, he turned, finding Sarah lost in thought, her eyes unfocused and unsure. “Hey,” he said softly, wrapping his arms around her midsection and kissing her forehead. “Give it time. You’ll see.” 

* * *

 

Sarah looked around in shock and horror as she was brought to the arena.  _We destroyed it_. she thought.  _Could they really have rebuilt it so quickly?_

 

She stumbled slightly as she was shoved forward and the gate closed behind her. 

 

“Sarah!” 

 

Turning, she felt her heart lift as Shiro ran to her. Though they had been separated for only a few hours, it was still awful torturous. He pulled her into a tight embrace, kissing her deeply. 

 

“Are you okay? Did they do anything to you?” 

 

“I’m fine, they didn’t do anything….” she said, trailing off as she registered just how strange that was. Shiro seemed to be thinking the same thing, but their thoughts were interrupted.

 

“I give you the Champion and the Sorceress.” Haggar said, her voice echoing around the arena as cheers rang out. “Lovers, pitted against each other in a fight to the death.” 

 

Sarah froze, a dark, unsettling anxiety washing over her. She clutched Shiro tighter and felt him tense and alert. 

 

“We aren’t going to fight each other for your amusement, hag.” he shouted fiercely. 

 

“I don’t expect you to. I expect one of you to kill the other in order to save your daughter’s life.” Haggar said, grinning maliciously as she picked up a struggling Tei. 

 

Sarah’s hands lept to her mouth in horror as she began to cry. 

 

“Damnit.” Shiro hissed, his fists tightening in anger. Relaxing them, he gently grabbed her shoulders leaned over so he was eye to eye with her. “Sarah, I need you to listen to me okay?”

 

“No, no, I can’t, Shiro, I c-can’t….” she cried. 

 

“You have to baby, you have to kill me. It’ll be okay, it’ll all be okay in the end, you and Tei will be back home safe and sound.”

 

“But you won’t be with us.” Sarah sobbed, clinging to him almost desperately. 

 

“I-I know, princess. But it has to be this way, to save Tei.” 

 

“I don’t have all day.” Haggar growled, though she seemed to be enjoying the emotional torture. 

 

Sarah sobbed harder as Shiro insisted. “Hey, Sarah, look at me….It’s okay. You’d be doing the right thing. Just know that I love you and you are not to blame.” 

 

“I’m getting impatient!” Haggar yelled.

 

“I can’t do it, I can’t do it!” Sarah cried. 

 

“Sarah, princess, you have to, or she’s going to kill Tei!” 

 

“Why can’t you kill me in-instead?”

 

“No…don’t ask me to do that,  _please_ …” he pleaded desperately. 

 

“But the Black Lion-and Voltron-”

 

“They can by without me-”

 

“But you’re a Paladin! I’m just-”

 

“I’m going to start counting down!” Haggar called over the growing cacophony. 

 

“Sarah, you have to do it now or she’s gonna kill Tei!” Shiro said almost frantically as Sarah sobbed harder. 

 

“Five!” Haggar began furiously.

 

“Sarah think of Tei, please!”

 

“Four!”

 

“Please baby, it’s okay, I’m asking you to do this-” he begged as her hands went to her ears. She felt herself becoming overwhelmed with all the noise and emotional distress; she couldn’t take it anymore. 

 

“Three!”

 

“Princess, it’s okay, it’s okay-”

 

“Two!”

 

“Sarah, you have to kill me now or we’re gonna lose Tei forever, please I can’t-”

 

“One!”

 

Sarah screamed. Before she knew what she was doing, a quintessence dagger in her hand had plunged into Shiro’s heart. He began to fall to his knees and though she was in shock she followed, holding him in her arms.

 

“I-I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry…” she sobbed. 

 

“Hey…” he began weakly, caressing her cheek. “I asked you to…it’s okay. It’s okay, princess. I love you so much….and I know you love me just as much. But we have to put our children first, right? You did the right thing, you’re a good mother….”

 

“S-shiro please…don’t leave me….” she whimpered. 

 

“I’m sorry, baby, I have to….I love you…forever….” he said as his voice trailed off. She held him tighter when he went limp, screaming and crying worse than ever. 

* * *

Sarah woke up violently, crying and sobbing as Shiro held her tightly. “I know.” he said softly, fearfully. “I saw it too.” 

 

“W-what do we do?” she whimpered.

 

“I…..I don’t know.” he murmured. “But….if it does come to that….”

 

“Please don’t ask me to…” Sarah sobbed harder. “I can’t, I can’t…”

 

“Sarah….you’ll have to. There isn’t any other choice….I-I’m not strong enough to live without you….” He kissed her softly. “I know that you can be. You have it in you. You’re stronger than I am, in ways I never could be.” He framed her face with his rough, strong hands. “I need you to promise me, princess. I need you to promise that you’ll take care of our children, whatever it takes.” 

 

“I-I-” she began thickly, trying to regulate her crying so she could speak. “I-I pr-promise….” 

 

“Thank you…” he said, breathing a sigh of relief. “Never forget, never doubt my love for you.” 

 

“And mine for you.” she whimpered. 

 

He held her tightly for a few moments until her breathing steadied. “We should inform the others.” he said softly. “I get the sense that that was the full dream, so it’ll happen soon unless we can find some way of avoiding it.” 

 

She sniffled, nodding.

* * *

“Oh my god….” Allura murmured after they shared the nightmare with the rest. “Do you have any idea how….how Haggar can….” she trailed off, afraid to finish as she looked to her friend, horror struck. 

 

Sarah shook her head, shaking slightly. “B-but hopefully we can avoid it. I’ll get a really fast vision and I’ll know-this is where-this is-” she broke off, taking a shuddering breath as Shiro’s arms tightened around her shoulders. 

 

“And the Hag can’t get you or the kids if you’re safe inside the castle.” Krisox pointed out, his tone firm and sure. Sarah wished the feeling was mutual, but she felt extremely unsafe, even in her husband’s arms. 

 

“We’ll all need to be on high alert until….for the time being.” Shiro said, strong and confident, though his voice had faltered slightly. 

 

“Right,” Allura said, nodding. She began addressing the others, discussing safety measures to prevent the tragedy that felt unavoidable to Sarah. She couldn’t help but replay the nightmare over and over, trying to think of any alternative to killing Shiro that’d also save all three of them. The only idea she could come up with made her stomach do sickening flips….but if it meant she could save Shiro and Tei, she was willing to do it. 


	158. Defense

“So it looks like my propaganda idea for Reign is working.” Sarah said as the team gathered at the dining table for dinner. 

 

“Yea?” Shiro asked as he helped himself to some of the food Hunk and Kayla had made. “What’d you use for it?”

 

“I’m trying to play off the fact that Aunchora is very secretive and private. She’s like a queen with no advisers or handmaidens. So no one really knows what she’s up to and I’ve discovered most of the people in Reign aren’t really loyal to her, they’re suspicious.” 

 

“Wonder why they joined then?” 

 

“Same reason people join cults, I imagine. They want a sense of belonging, companionship. There aren’t any other outlets providing that so….” she shrugged as she ate. 

 

“Sure am lucky you’re on my side, I’d hate to be up against you.” Krisox teased. 

 

“I pity my enemies occasionally.” Sarah joked. 

 

“Seems like you’ll have Reign in no time.” Shiro commented.

 

“I don’t know….the members are still really afraid of Aunchora. If we could draw her away and incite a coup, that’d be great. But I have no idea how to do that.”

 

“I’m sure you’ll think of something.” Shiro said confidently as he helped V’selle and Aury get second helpings.  

 

“It’s a really good start at the very least.” Krisox said lazily. 

 

“Mani, Mani, I can have more, yes?” Nec asked, gently tugging his mother’s sleeve. 

 

“Of course.” Sarah said, smiling warmly as she took his plate and added more to it. She chuckled as the feathered boy clapped excitedly when she returned the plate. She caught Shiro watching her and they smiled, both blissfully happy to have a family. 

* * *

“And the defense system is set to its highest setting, right?” Shiro asked Allura for probably the millionth time. 

 

“Yes, Shiro.” she said patiently. “I even have the particle barrier up at full strength. I don’t think we could be safer if we tried.” She sighed when she saw Shiro’s concerned expression as he looked over the security protocols and systems again. “Shiro….go to your wife and children. They’re probably ready to sleep and want you with them. Go to them, Shiro.” 

 

“Yea…yea…thanks, Allura.” he murmured, lost in thought as he left for his and Sarah’s room where the children were going to be sleeping for a while. 

 

“I was wondering where you got off to.” Sarah said, smiling as he entered their room. She had a picture book spread open on her crossed legs and was reading to the five kids. 

 

“What book have you got?” he asked, climbing into the bed to join them. 

 

“Bad Case of Stripes, my favourite.” she answered happily. 

 

“Oh yea, this ones great.” he said, smiling, as he got comfortable with his family. 

* * *

A blaring alarm woke them both with a start. Sarah began to panic when felt around and found the bed empty except for her and Shiro. 

 

“They’re not here, they’re not here, Shiro, where are they?!” she cried frantically over the cacophony. 

 

The two bolted from bed and out into the hall. The alarm was louder and echoing all around them, causing Sarah to clamp her hands tightly over ears in fear. She focused on following Shiro as they ran through the halls. They found Allura after they turned a corner, fighting a few druids as Aury and Nec  huddled behind her in fear. Shiro charged, ramming into one of the druids and knocking him to the ground. Sarah reached the boys just as Allura finished off the other druid, wincing slightly as she removed her hands from her ears to check them both. 

 

“How did they get in?” Shiro asked Allura, joining Sarah to check on the boys. 

 

“I don’t know. It shouldn’t be possible, I don’t know how they got in.” the princess answered, frustrated and angry. “There’s more, I don’t know where though.” 

 

“Sarah, take the boys back to our room and lock the door.” Shiro instructed, rising to his feet. 

 

“But I can-” Sarah protested.

 

“ _Please_.” Shiro pleaded, his eyes worried and scared. 

 

She hesitated, but nodded. “C’mon, pani’s gonna look for the others, let’s go back to our room for now.” she said, taking each boys’ hand and running back. 

 

When she rounded the corner, she gasped and barely had time to cross her arms in front of her forming a quintessence barrier before Haggar’s blast struck, tossing her against the wall behind her and knocking her unconscious. 


	159. In the Arena

Sarah groaned as she woke, rising to her hands and knees. Everything hurt. Opening her eyes, she gasped in horror as she found herself in a Galra prison cell. Before she had a chance to stand up and try to get an idea of what kind of Galra ship she was on, the door opened and two druids walked in, flanked by sentries. 

 

“It’s time, witch.” one hissed as the sentries roughly pulled her up to her feet. 

 

She felt her heart hammering frantically in her chest as a cold, foreboding feeling trickled down her back. Though she hadn’t had the rush of a vision, she knew where she was being taken: the arena. She knew what she had to do, but it still scared her. 

* * *

She ran to Shiro when she was shoved into the arena. She could tell he had been crying, but he had successfully pulled himself together, for her. 

 

“I give you the Champion and the Sorceress.” Haggar said, her voice echoing around the arena as cheers rang out. “Lovers, pitted against each other in a fight to the death…to save their daughter.” The couple looked up as Haggar held a struggling Tei for the entire arena to see. 

 

“Remember what you promised, Sarah?” Shiro asked, turning to her, his eyes fearful but determined. He had already accepted death. She felt horrible imagining how he would react to what she planned to do. 

 

“I promised to take care of our children, whatever it takes.” she said steadily, framing his face as her eyes surveyed him carefully. 

 

“Whatever it takes.” he sighed, resting his forehead against hers. “And know that I love you and you are doing the right thing.” 

 

“Right. The right thing…” she murmured. His eyes were closed, bracing himself for the end. “I’m sorry, Shiro,” she whispered, a glowing quintessence dagger forming in her hand. 

 

“I’m asking you to. You need not feel guilty. This is my choice.” he assured her. 

 

She held the dagger with both hands, ready to plunge it in her breast. “I-I’m so sorry.” she cried, squeezing her eyes shut. 

 

“MANI, NO!” Tei screamed suddenly. Suddenly she was there with them, [floating and glowing](http://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fblzgdapipro-a.akamaihd.net%2Fmedia%2Fscreenshot%2Fzenyatta-screenshot-001.jpg&t=Njg0NzFhZjJjNjZmMjNhOGYyNzFhNTAxYmVmNGZiZmE5MWZhOTg4YixqMHU1ZXI5NQ%3D%3D&b=t%3AUp-8vRCgTYJDx5VxPdiFaA&p=http%3A%2F%2Fterezisexbuttpyrope.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F161497413045%2Fin-the-arena&m=0) and mumbling something, her eyes closed. They felt themselves being lifted into the air, and then slammed back down in one of the castle’s larger hangers. 

 

“Tei!” Shiro gasped. 

 

Sarah winced as she pushed herself up, slowly crawling over to them as Shiro held their daughter in his arms. She was unconscious, but slowly opened her eyes when Sarah reached them and looked between her parents, smiling. 

 

“Tei…what just happened? What was that?” Shiro asked softly. 

 

“I had to save yous….and I could, so I did.” she answered simply. 

 

“Where did you learn magic like that, baby girl?” Sarah asked, caressing her cheek. 

 

“From my mani before you, and from unkie and auntie. My old mani said ours species is naturally gifted with the magics. Is how I knew you was going to be our mani.” Tei reached up caressed Sarah’s cheek. “And you’s a very good mani.” 

* * *

Satisfied that Tei was sleeping soundly, Sarah and Shiro retreated to their room where they relaxed on their bed, holding each other for a long time.

 

“Sarah…” Shiro began slowly, his voice wavering. “Before Tei saved us….what were you about-were you-” Sobs broke through, interrupting him, as he relived that short, terrifying moment in the arena. It had felt like it lasted a lifetime. “Were you about to kill yourself?” he managed in a hushed voice. 

 

She avoided his gaze, staring at their joined hands. “Yes….” she said in a small voice. “The universe needs you more than it needs me. I know you disagree but-it’s true.”

 

Shiro broke down, holding her tightly as he buried his face in her shoulder. “I don’t want y-you thinking that way. It’s not true-it’s not, the Black Lion….she’d figure something out without me. I can’t-I can’t live without you, I need you…”

 

“You keep saying that,” Sarah whimpered. “But I know you’d pull through, for our children. Promise me that, please.” 

 

For several long moments, all that could be heard was Shiro’s soft crying. “I can’t imagine living without you….” he said finally, his voice cracking.

 

“And I can’t imagine living without  _you_.” she murmured, kissing his forehead. “But you made  _me_  promise.”

 

“I don’t know if-if I can….I’m so scared. I’m afraid I’m going to lose you and I barely know who to trust anymore-”

 

“You can trust me Shiro.” she said softly, her brows furrowing in concern. “You can always trust me.”

 

“But  _you_  almost took yourself away from me.” he sobbed, his tears soaking her shirt as he held himself against her chest. 

 

“That….that was-that situation-” she stammered, breaking into tears. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I want you to trust me, I don’t you to always feel afraid. I don’t know what to do or how to help and I’m so sorry. I’m your  _wife_ , I shouldn’t be-you should be able to-”

 

Shiro cut her off with a kiss, long and deep and needy. “We’ll try to work through this. I just-if I know you’re safe, I don’t think I’ll be as afraid.”

 

“I’ll do everything in my power to ease your fears.” she said determinedly. 

 

“I wish I could just whisk you away somewhere safe. Somewhere I know you won’t be harmed and can be happy. And I can protect you, like a husband should.”

 

“You already excel at protecting me.” she said softly, wiping some of his tears away. “When I’m in your arms, like I am now….no danger can reach me.” 

 

“I wish I could keep my arms around you forever.” he murmured, kissing her again. When she moaned he slipped his tongue to meet hers, savouring her taste as he held her small form against him, never wanting to let go.


	160. Things to Address

“Okay….there’s a lot we need to cover.” Allura said wearily from her center console to the rest who had gathered around her. “We don’t know how the druids and Haggar got in, as it was impossible to physically break in. I had every security system and protocol on high alert and they still got in.”

 

“You don’t have anything for magic though, do you?” Krisox asked, slightly irritable; whether it was because he almost lost her again or something else, Sarah didn’t know. She sat on the steps leading to Allura’s platform, a nervous Tei in her lap. 

 

“Can they really teleport in here from a great distance?” Allura snapped, making Sarah wince slightly. Everyone was exhausted and on edge from the recent events; she couldn’t blame them. 

 

“Well, we don’t exactly know what she’s capable of, do we?!” 

 

“Okay, yes, we don’t fully know what she’s capable of, but arguing about it isn’t going to help us out there.” Shiro intervened, stepping between them. “We’re just going to have to try and prepare for anything.” 

 

Krisox and Allura glared at each other before simultaneously saying, “Fine.” 

 

“Okay….your escape.” Allura said cautiously, sitting down next to Sarah. “Tei, sweetheart….?” she prompted gently. 

 

Tei looked to Sarah, who nodded and smiled encouragingly, before looking to Allura. “My womb mani said our species is naturally gifted…..she said we have a special connection with the universe. With the life force that pulses throughout it. She taught me a few things before……..and then unkie and auntie taught me some things, and I learned a few things on my own…..” Tei shrugged, resting her head against Sarah’s chest. 

 

Allura shared a look with Sarah before standing back up. “This is….a lot to absorb that we still don’t fully understand.” she said wearily. 

 

“So….where do we go from here?” Hunk asked tentatively. 

 

Sarah rested her head on Tei’s, looking up to her husband who looked lost. “I honestly don’t know.” he whispered.

* * *

“Sarah? Sarah?!” Shiro’s voice echoed through the castle frantically. Sarah looked up from her computer in Darling. It took her a second to react, as she could get very lost in her own head when it came to Photoshop. She lept out of her chair and ran out, almost colliding with Shiro who held her tightly. “I-I woke up and couldn’t find you and I just-I-” he stammered, crying. 

 

“Shush, I’m sorry baby…” she said soothingly. “I got a commission, I thought it’d be quick and I’d be back before you woke…” 

 

The two retreated to their room where Sarah held him as he clung to her tightly. Her mother texted her as she browsed on her phone. Frowning she pulled open the message. 

> **_I’m concerned for Shiro and his neediness of your company. I believe we can help his anxiety if we return to Stiea K2. It is really not healthy to continue on like this…_ **

Sarah read and reread the message several times before sighing and replying that she’d talk with him. She hated to admit it, but his constantly needing her by his side was starting to stress her out.  _If her idea is anything how they helped me, it’ll be incredible.._..she thought, remembering how the helped her OCD. 

 

“Shiro, baby?” she said gently, in case he had actually fallen asleep.

 

“Mnnh?”

 

“My mom had an idea…” she began tentatively. 


	161. Help

“Remind me again why we’re going back to Stiea K2?” Allura asked, somewhat irritably. 

 

“Because, if you haven’t noticed, Shiro’s anxiety has gotten worse and worse over the past few months.” Sarah said softly, not wanting Shiro to overhear. “My parents might be able to help.” 

 

“Okay, but how.” 

 

“Probably something similar to what they did with me. Specially programmed nanobots that regulate the brains neurons and functions.” 

 

“That….seems extremely risky and complicated.” Allura said, unsure. 

 

“It sounds it, but it’s not.” Sarah said with an assuring smile. “I mean it’s not perfect, I still slip into some OCD tendencies from time to time, but I’m immensely better than I was a few years ago.”

 

“But nanobots? Couldn’t someone remotely control them and like…posses him?” 

 

“Oh lord no.” Sarah chuckled. “No, they’re programmed to do a task and then once they’re inserted they can’t be affected by anything outside the brain. You’d have to ask mom for more details to be perfectly honest, she’s the one who invented the technology.” 

 

“Oh wow, really? I didn’t think your mom was good with robots.” 

 

“Well usually she’s not, but she worked with nanobot scientist guy and created nanobots that are made of organic material and can behave as such.”

 

“Interesting….” Allura murmured, staring off at nothing, lost in thought. 

 

“I just….I just don’t want Shiro to be so anxious all the time.” Sarah said softly. “He’s vital to the team and Voltron….he’s so important and he doesn’t even know it…..I can’t live with myself knowing I’m inhibiting his ability to save the universe.” She stared at her hands, trying to hide her watering eyes. 

 

“Hey…” Allura said gently. Sarah looked up and saw her friend smiling warmly. “This isn’t your fault. Nor is it his. It’s like you said, it’s anxiety, it’s beyond your control sometimes.” Sarah nodded and smiled appreciatively. “Okay….to Stiea K2 we go.”

* * *

“I’m right here, I won’t leave your side for a nanosecond.” Sarah assured Shiro as they sat in one of the newly restored hospital suites. Her mother was across the small, blindingly white room organising the necessary supplies and paperwork for the procedure. Shiro gripped her hand tightly; he had been wary about her mother’s idea when she first told him, but knew that it was something she had gone through and it worked miraculously for her. 

 

“Okay, I’m going to need to do a few brain scans. You needn’t take anything, just lay down and let the machines do the work. Sarah, you can stay by him but not too close to the machine, please.” her mother said, guiding them over to what looked like a sleek MRI bed. Sarah and Stena eased him on the bed, both making sure he was comfortable several times before Stena started up the machine. Sarah held his hand with both of hers, standing just a foot away from the table as it worked to get an accurate reading of the going-ons in his brain. 

 

“Okay,” Stena said an hour later. “I’ll need to study these scans so I can precisely calibrate the nanobots to your needs. Should only take me a few days.” 

 

“What do we do in the meantime?” Shiro asked uncertainly, sitting up and sliding off the bed. 

 

“Stay on Stiea K2. Preferably in this neighbourhood. Besides that, it’s up to you.”

 

“I don’t need to take it easy or anything…?” he frowned, looking to Sarah. 

 

“It’s not like it’s major surgery. It’s an injection, a few test runs to make sure things are calibrated correctly, but nothing you need to physically prepare for.” she assured him.

* * *

Sarah and Shiro rested in Sarah’s childhood bedroom, Shiro resting his head on her chest as her fingers ran through his hair. “Thank you, for trusting us,” she murmured after a while.

 

Shiro shifted until he was propped up on his arm, caressing her cheek. “Of course.” he said softly, kissing her sweetly. “I’d trust you and your mother with my life, and more.”

 

“I just know it’s kind of scary….and can feel like a really risky procedure.”

 

“It worked for you.” he said with a small smile. “And you have faith in your mother that she’ll make it work for me, too. And  _I_  have faith in you and your judgement.” He lightly brushed some hair out of her face before taking her hand in his. “You should have more faith in your judgement, princess. You doubt yourself too much.” 

 

Sarah smiled sheepishly, her eyes flickering to their joined hands. Shiro kissed her forehead before resuming his place resting on her small chest. He began humming a Disney song, the soothing vibrations lulling Sarah to sleep. 

* * *

Sarah and Shiro spent the next few days touring her home, showing Shiro her school and the various shopping centers and parks. 

 

“And see, those lines could transport you to the mega districts in the blink of an eye almost.” she said, pointing to a teal tube. “I wonder if Unipeace will get them back up and working? It’d be nice to have a working infrastructure again.” 

 

“Hey, what’s that green building?” Shiro asked, squinting in the distance. 

 

“Oh, that’s like a green house. The outside walls are covered in a specially modified grass, that’s why it’s green.” 

 

“The  _exterior_  is grass?” he asked in awe. “This place is amazing.” 

 

“I’m glad you like it.” Sarah chuckled, beaming up at him. “Wish you could’ve seen it before the Galra got here, it was magical almost.”

 

“Maybe I’ll see it one day, after we defeat Zarkon.” 

 

“But…what about Earth?” she asked quietly. 

 

They had come to a pause at an overlook that extended over a ten lane high way, resting against a railing. He took her hand in his, bringing it to his mouth to kiss it. “I imagine we’ll go back, but I don’t think I’ll stay. I’m going to go wherever you go. If you want to live on Earth, then we will. If you want to live here, then we will.”

 

“But your family….the Garrison….” she whispered uncertainly. 

 

“I can clear things up when we drop off the other Paladins. The Garrison can get by without me, they have for this long.” he chuckled, caressing her cheek now. 

 

“You’d give up your family for me…?”

 

“You  _are_  my family.” he murmured, kissing her. “You and our children…I can’t imagine we’d be able to have them with us on Earth. If you want to I’ll find a way, but…”

 

“Shiro….” she said, her voice thick with emotion. His hands framed her face as he gazed into her eyes, his thumbs wiping away the gentle tears that spilled out. “Is it selfish of me to want to live here?” she asked, sniffling. “I love my home but it’s alien to you, I don’t want-”

 

Shiro cut her off with a passionate kiss, conveying all his love and devotion to her. “I told you…” he whispered as he rested his forehead against hers. “I will do everything in my power to make you happy and give you the blissful life you deserve. You have my heart, my soul, my everything, forever.” he smiled, repeating his vows. 

 

“You’re so good to me.” she chuckled tearfully. 

 

“And  _you’re_  good to  _me_.”

 

“I feel like you’re better to me than I am to you.” she admitted. 

 

“No, baby, that’s not true.” he said softly, his eyes sad. “You don’t know how much the small things mean to me….And you’re an amazing, unstoppable force of good, this unfaltering light in my life that nothing can snuff out.” He kissed her forehead for a long moment. “Please don’t think things like that.” Okay, princess? You’re  good to me, very good to me.”

 

“Okay.” Sarah whispered, her voice barely audible, gazing up at Shiro as he studied her face, smiling. “I love you, Shiro.”

 

“And I love you, Sarah.”

* * *

The couple found their kids and the other Paladins in a park not far from Sarah’s home. It had mercifully gone untouched by the Galra, though its working parts weren’t functioning. 

 

“Hey guys, you having fun?” Sarah asked as they got closer. The children squealed, abruptly dropping their game of tag with Lance to rush their parents. The couple knelt down and embraced their kids happily, the group laughing and giggling. Sarah imagined her future with her family in a rejuvenated Stiea K2, and swore she could not be happier if she tried. 

* * *

“Okay, Shiro, if you’ll just lie here, I will inject the nanobots. These are just temporary and will deactivate and be removed via your body’s natural functions after a few days. This is the trial and error phase.” Stena explained a few days later. 

 

“O-Okay.” he said, nodding. Sarah could tell he was nervous and squeezed his hand, smiling when he looked to her for comfort.

 

He winced slightly as her mother injected the needle in his neck. It wasn’t in for long, barely the blink of an eye, and Stena was cleaning the spot and covering it with band aid. “And now we wait.” she said with a warm smile, standing up. “Should only be a day, you should begin to notice the effects in a few hours. I’ll take some scans in about five hours to appraise how things are going.”

 

Just as she said, she took more scans a few hours later and looked them over with the couple in the room. “Things are looking really good! There’s just a few tweaks I want to make, see how those work out, then you should be good as new.” she said, beaming to them. 

* * *

“How are you feeling?” Sarah asked Shiro tentatively at the end of the week. 

 

“I….don’t know how to describe it. I feel more in control of things, even though I know I couldn’t possibly be, I feel I am.” He smiled at her, his eyes crinkling. “I feel confident things are going to be okay. I’m still scared to lose you, but…it’s not controlling me anymore. I’m not consumed by it.”

 

“Yay!” she cheered excitedly, jumping up and down. “This is exciting, I knew it would work, I had trouble getting ride of that nagging doubt but-”

 

Shiro kissed her, smiling into it as the two dissolved into laughter. “Let’s take back the universe from Zarkon. We can handle anything he can toss out, I just know it.”


	162. Measures

“Mom, do you think anyone here would know more…?” Sarah asked her mother after she explained the events before, during, and after the arena. 

 

“It’s possible.” Stena murmured, her gaze drifting to where Shiro played with the kids in the next room over. The entire party was laughing giddily as the children enjoyed jumping on their father and play wrestling with him. “I’m not sure where everyone in the Xenoscience district went. I shudder to think…” She took a deep breath and turned back to her daughter. “I can check the library. There’s bound to be something in there.” 

 

“Oh, I can check the library planet.”

 

“That’s still standing?” her mother asked, amazed. “I thought surely the Galra would have destroyed it by now….” 

 

“Nope, it’s still standing. Don’t know how. But it’s how we found out more about I’ntayn to find Shiro.” 

 

“Ah yes, that….so much has happened, I haven’t had a chance to properly discuss it with you.”

 

“What do you mean?” Sarah asked, tilting her head and frowning; it had felt like a lifetime since she set off with Allura to find Shiro. She thought that business was all wrapped up, what with him being back and all. What more was there to discuss?

 

“I know it’s not something you think about but….other people love and care for you, too. And we very nearly lost you again. Next time, if there is a next time…please consider that. When the Galra took us I thought I’d never see you again….the memory haunts me.” she paused, her watery eyes scanning her daughter’s face. “I just love you and your siblings so much, I can’t lose you.” 

 

“Oh, mom, I’m-I’m sorry…” Sarah murmured, reaching across the couch to hug her mother. “I can be so thoughtless….”

 

“I know, I know you can’t help it. It’s not something you are typically consciously aware of. Just….please.” Sarah nodded, relaxing as her mother smiled and kissed her cheek. “Go have fun with your family.” 

 

Sarah smiled brightly before jogging over to Shiro and the kids. “Mind if I join?” she asked as the kids screamed with mirth, running up to their mother as she knelt down to join their level. 

* * *

“So, what is your mom doing with Tei again?” Shiro asked as the two watched Stena play with Tei in a newly reconstructed observation room. 

 

“We’re trying to get a better understanding of her abilities. Mom has this….I don’t know, way of doing so. If we can get a grasp of the scope of her powers….the easier and more effective we’ll be at hiding her from Haggar.” Sarah said, her voice growing quiet and fearful towards the end. 

 

Shiro wrapped his arms around her middle, resting his chin on her shoulder as they both watched Tei laugh happily through the two-way glass. “Haggar will never touch our children again, I swear to you.” he whispered seriously. “If I have to spend every moment awake, vigilant, and on the defensive I will. There’s nothing I won’t do for our family.” 

 

Sarah looked up at him, her eyes wide and worried as she turned in his arms to rest against his chest. “Thank you.” she whispered. “I’m so scared. I feel like there’s nothing I can do, that no matter what, Haggar will find a way in to disrupt our lives.” 

 

“Shuuush.” he said softly. “You underestimate yourself.” He was about to say something more, but was cut off when Stena opened the door.

 

“I’ll be right back sweetheart.” she said to Tei, who was now busying herself with a dollhouse. Closing the door, she turned to Sarah and Shiro, her face grim. “She’s very powerful, more so than I think I’ve seen in my lifetime. The only way I think to protect her completely…is to keep her in the Deep Slums.” 

 

“Okay. What kind of arrangements do we need to make?” Sarah asked. 

* * *

“We’re gonna miss you guys so much.” Sarah said tearfully a few days later as she and Shiro were saying goodbye to their children. Stena and N’eion offered to look after them for the young parents, and were behind the children now, trying to pry them off their parents. 

 

“You’ll see them again, and we’ll have video calls as often as you want.” Stena said soothingly, trying to loosen Aury’s grip on Shiro. 

 

“It’s for best guys, you’re safer here.” Shiro said, his voice thick with emotion. “Stay strong, yea? Stay strong and brave for mani and me.” 

 

After they managed to successfully remove themselves and boarded Darling to take them back to the castle, the couple held each other for a long time. “They didn’t take it very well, did they?” Allura asked as she piloted Sarah’s craft. 

 

“It’s hard.” Shiro admitted. “But they’re safest here. Especially now that Haggar knows Tei has powers….” he trailed off warily. Allura nodded as the couple rested their foreheads against one another. 

 

Sarah’s thoughts trailed from one thing to another, until-

 

“What is it?” Shiro asked when she gasped. 

 

“I can’t believe I forgot! When Lotor had me in that flat valley-he said he has spies in the Blade of Mamora!”

 

“ _WHAT?!_ ” the other two gasped together. 

 

“What do we do?” Shiro asked, looking between Allura and Sarah. 

 

“We have to warn them!” Allura said, urging Darling on. 

 

“Not all of them.” Sarah said, thinking quickly. “We don’t know who it may be. We tell Kolivan, thats it.” 

 

Allura looked uneasy, but nodded. “Just Kolivan.” she said, reaching the castle. “I’ll notify him immediately.”


	163. Meeting

Sarah sat on the back of the couch, leaning against Shiro’s back with her arms draped around his neck as they waited for Kolivan to arrive. The Galra had been reluctant, grudgingly agreed to meet them in secret after much persuasion. 

 

“I thought he’d be here by now.” she pouted, holding up her phone to check the time. 

 

“Patience. It took a lot of convincing to get him even agree to come, I can imagine he’s not being easy on Allura on getting here.” he said soothingly, spinning his fidget spinner in his hand. He chuckled when Sarah groaned, slumping forward almost like a rag doll. 

 

“We’ve been waiting for hours though…” she whined, her head on his shoulder now. 

 

“We have not, it’s been forty five minutes.” he chided. “I told you to grab your phone charger.” 

 

“I just know the minute I run to get it they’ll be here.”

 

“The longer you wait the more likely that is to be the case.” 

 

Sarah groaned again. “Stop being right.” she huffed, making him laugh. She smiled, enjoying his laughter. 

 

To ease her boredom, Shiro held up his spinner so she could spin it a few times. She found it soothing somehow, and fun in an innocent, almost child-like way. 

 

A few moments later the door opened and Allura stepped through followed by Kolivan. The two sat across the couch from the couple, putting a rather sizable distance between themselves. “What is it you wish to tell me and only me?” the Galra leader asked gruffly. 

 

Sarah sat upright, her hands resting on her husband’s shoulders. “In a recent battle against the empire I ran into Prince Lotor. Or rather, he found me. He’s quite the talker, I think he loves the sound of his own voice. He told me he had spies in the Blade of Mamora, and has for a long while.” 

 

“WHAT?!” Kolivan roared in dismay. “Impossible! Our members…it cannot be…but…” he trailed off, thinking. “If he has known for a while….why has he not said anything to his father?” 

 

“He didn’t say.” Sarah said, shaking her head. “But he did say he wanted to make me his queen, so my guess is he wants the throne.” 

 

Kolivan laughed a bark-like laugh. “He’s given up on you, then?” he said with a grin, facing Allura. 

 

“Evidently so. I’m thankful, though I wish his….’affections’ hadn’t moved to you.” she said, using air quotes. 

 

“Well, he did slightly hint at polygamy so-”

 

“Uugghhh…” Allura groaned, leaning forward and burying her face in her hands. 

 

“Just what is your history with Lotor?” Shiro asked, studying her. 

 

“What more do we know about the spies in the Blade?” Kolivan interrupted. 

 

“Nothing more. But at least was present when I was discussing my strategies with you, cause he said his spies said I was a ‘dangerously clever strategist.” she answered, smiling slightly. Though she loathed the source, a compliment was a compliment. 

 

“Hmmm. Why did you want to speak only to me?” 

 

“Besides you being the leader you mean?” Sarah asked, giving a look that read as “really?”. When he nodded, she shrugged. “If the spy turned out to be you, we’d probably find out immediately. This way we eliminate one suspect with total certainty.”

 

“Now, hang on, how can we do that? What if he is the spy?” Allura asked, somewhat scathingly. 

 

“I am no spy for the empire!” Kolivan hissed, baring his teeth and fangs at Allura. 

 

“How can we know with utmost certainty?” she fired back, not backing down. 

 

“Allura, I trust him, his reaction to the news was genuine…or he’s a top notch actor, which, no offense, I don’t believe he is.” Sarah intervened, slipping off the couch and standing between the two hostile bodies. 

 

“That’s not good enough, Sarah! We can’t just trust everyone at face value! Some of us don’t have that luxury.” Allura said angrily, ending in a growl. 

 

“Allura if he does in fact turn out to be a spy and betray us or whatever I am willing to face the consequences solo.” the small human said, firm and fierce, her fists on her hips. 

 

A tense silence followed, as Allura found herself at a loss for what to say, but still angry. Kolivan seemed surprised and…touched by Sarah’s defense of him. 

 

“It’s not going to come to that.” Shiro said, standing up and wrapping his arms through hers and around her waist. He kissed her neck softly before his piercing eyes found Kolivan. “because believe you me,” he growled, low and threatening. “you will be dead long before any of your actions will affect her.” 

 

Sarah smiled, but felt her neck grow hot as she felt flushed. She found Shiro insanely sexy when he got like this. 

 

“So, how do we go about finding the traitors in the Blade?” Kolivan asked after clearing his throat. 

 

“I don’t know quite yet. I thought you’d have a better idea how to approach that since its, you know, your deal.” Sarah answered with yet another shrug. 

 

“Now, if you will excuse us…” Shiro said sultrily, gently guiding Sarah to the door. “We have erm…matters, to take care of…if you’re up for it?” he added in a barely audible whisper. His face broke into a wide grin when she nodded. Looking back, Allura was rolling her eyes as Kolivan watched them go, bewildered. 


	164. Texts

“Oh, I forgot to ask-did the dragons help at all with those ancient texts?” Shiro asked one day as he, Sarah, and Allura sat in the control room, studying various data to best plan their next move. 

 

“A bit.” Sarah answered, swiping away a graph and drawing another one down. “They said some key parts were missing. It’s definitely instructions on that weird twilight magic, but its more how to use it-not how to uhm…. _make_  it.”

 

Shiro frowned, turning in his seat to face where she sat cross-legged on the floor. “Make it?” 

 

“Yea. It’s not normal magic. It’s like….technology, you know how to use it but not how to make it.” 

 

“Unless you’re Pidge or Hunk.” Allura interjected with a smile as the other two laughed.

 

“No argument there.”

 

“So what you have is good for Kayla but otherwise useless?” Shiro prompted. 

 

“More or less, yea.” Sarah answered with a nod. 

 

“Do you have any idea where the other parts might be?” 

 

“They did suggest a location, but it’s….kinda deep in Galra territory.” she said, grimacing.

 

“How important do you feel these texts are?” Allura asked, scrutinising her friend. 

 

“Well, I mean, it really depends on whether or not Haggar is actively looking for them-or if she’s found them.”

 

“Why?” 

 

“If she can make some of this magic she could make it into monsters the size of Voltron, and twice as powerful. Like the twilight creatures that appear when Kayla’s in danger.” 

 

“Oh my stars…how likely would she be able to make the magic?” 

 

“From what White has told me, not likely. She can’t use White Magic at all, she’s too corrupted. She’d have to have someone who can use White Magic to help her. And as far as I know she doesn’t have a White Witch on her side.” 

 

“ _SHIT_.” Shiro gasped, making both girls jump. “I can’t believe I totally forgot. Lotor-he can use White Magic. He used some when he helped me escape.”

 

“Damn.” Allura cursed. “We already have enough trouble with robeasts. If Haggar can create something even worse….” She shook her head. “I don’t know. I think….I think we should go and investigate. I don’t want to take any chances with Haggar, especially not if Lotor can use White Magic and is on her side.” She looked from Sarah to Shiro, her eyes wary and unsure. 

 

Sarah looked to Shiro, whose eyes were worried and fearful….but resigned to a decision that seemed to have made itself. “We should go.” he said carefully. “Scope the place out, sneak in, sneak out.” 

 

“I’ll go inform the rest of the team.” Allura said, rising and exiting. 

 

Sarah stood and walked over to where Shiro sat, sitting sideways in his lap. “You sure, baby?” she murmured. 

 

“Yes and no.” he sighed, taking her hand in his and kissing her palm. “I don’t like the idea of Haggar having advance magic we don’t understand….its like Allura said….I don’t want to take any chances.” He smiled softly, one hand over hers as she caressed his cheek and leaned in to kiss him. 


	165. Stress

“Look, I know its a great risk and we aren’t going off a lot of solid information.” Allura said testily, frustrated with Keith and Pidge for arguing. “I know the dangers of returning to Elysan as well as anyone. It’s the Druid’s sacred world and is deep in Galra territory. I know that. But…” She looked to Sarah. “We can’t just wait around and see if Haggar has acquired this magic or not. If we do, and she finds the texts and she uses it….that’ll be the end of Voltron and the alliance and any hope of freedom for the universe.”

 

“I’m just saying I think we should plan this out a bit more. I just don’t see how we’re going to get that deep into Galra territory undetected.” Pidge insisted. 

 

“White is going to connect to the castle and use the particle barrier to make us invisible to radar and the naked eye.” Sarah said simply. 

 

“Okay, so we get there, then what? We’re going to be detected the moment we step out of the castle.” Keith persisted, angrily. 

 

“Not necessarily…” Allura stated coyly, stepping up to her central console in the command room. The Druid planet blew up in the hologram until it was slightly larger than a beach ball. Allura gestured with her hands and the planet turned. “There. See that mountainous area? For some reason the Druids have not been able to traverse or map out that area. Radar doesn’t work, nothing does, it’s a complete mystery. We’ll land there, and they’ll never know.” 

 

“But we could be stepping out into extremely dangerous territory!” 

 

“I’m sure the Lions can handle whatever’s there. Sarah, did the dragons happen to say where the books might be?” Allura said with a tone of finality before turning to Sarah. 

 

“Actually….” she began curiously, approaching the hologram. “They said it’d be in some kind of ruins hidden in un-mappable mountains. Something about the area being….I don’t know, like Chernobyl but like magic instead of radiation. If that makes sense?” the small human ended uncertainly, turning to Shiro. 

 

“Chernobyl?” Allura asked, confused. 

 

“It was a disaster of sorts, a human nuclear reactor or something….They had to evacuate the surrounding area because of the leaking radiation…I think?” Sarah smiled when Shiro nodded reassuringly. “The ruins were some kind of factory of sorts dealing with quintessence…something went wrong, and the entire area became inhospitable. That was ten thousand years ago though.”

 

“That must be why they don’t go there and radar doesn’t work. That’s where we will go.” Allura said, determined and ready. 

 

“But you said it was inhospitable.” Pidge pointed out, looking to Sarah. 

 

“Ten thousand years ago.” she emphasised. “I’m sure its fine now, if really magically charged.” 

 

“There’s a lot of uncertainties in this plan, I-” 

 

“Alright enough!” Allura yelled, frustrated and looking on the verge of tears. “I-I’m sorry, it’s just….Haggar scares me so much….” 

 

“Allura….” Sarah said softly, smoothly slipping in to hug her friend. “She scares me, too. More than I let on.”

 

“I’m sorry, I know this plan…it’s really bad, it’s-” 

 

“Hey, we can hammer it out more, yea? As we make our way there.” Shiro said with a comforting smile as he hugged both of them. “Haggar scares me as well, but I will not let her hurt another member of my family, I won’t allow it.” He kissed the top of Sarah’s head for a long moment before pulling away and observing the hologram of  Elysan. 

 

Sarah kept an arm around Allura’s shoulders as they shook. “We’re here for you, with you.” 

 

“Yea. We’re in this together. You don’t need to keep this all bottled up, ya know?” Hunk said, patting her gently on the back. 

 

“I’m sure I can make something that can scan the surface, if I work with Krisox.” Pidge piped up. 

 

“What, me, why me?” he asked, confused. 

 

“Unless I’m mistaken, your and Sarah’s ships use magic to go invisible, no?” she asked, smirking. 

 

Sarah looked up, surprised, and found her brother speechless. “Really? How’d you manage that?” 

 

“It’s ah…really complicated….” he mumbled. “How’d you figure it out?” 

 

“I’ve been doing maintenance on Darling for over a year now I think. I couldn’t figure the invisibility out, until the ordeal with the tracer Haggar put in Sarah. It never occurred to me to combine magic and technology. After that, it was actually rather easy to figure out. I may or may not have outfitted Green with the same magic tech.” 

 

“You surprise us more and more every day.” Allura said, giving Pidge a shaky but warm smile. “I’m sorry I snapped at you.” 

 

“It’s okay, you’re stressed, but you don’t have to hold all the weight on your shoulders. We’re a family, let us help you carry it.” 

 

“I’ll keep that in mind.” the Altean said, giving Sarah a side hug. “Shall we begin?” 


	166. The Un-map-able

Sure enough, Pidge was able to make a sort of radar that was capable of scanning the surface. The castle had successfully snuck into Galra territory and hovered in space above the mysterious mountainous region. After Pidge scanned the surface, she located what looked like some sort of facility built into the side of a mountain. 

 

“It’s gotta be massive, and it looks like it might actually extend into the mountain.” she said as the group studied the holoscreen. “There seems to be a flat-ish valley extending in front of it. We could park the castle there.” 

 

“Wait, why are we parking the castle?” Kayla asked, confused. 

 

“Because we’re gonna go explore it in our Lions, and once White has left the castle it’ll lose its invisibility. If we park it in this area, it’ll at least be hidden, since no one else seems to be able to scan it.” Sarah answered, her eyes scanning the holoscreen. 

 

“Begin our descent.” Allura ordered from her central position at the controls. 

* * *

“Okay, the air and surrounding environment looks breathable and safe.” Coran said after they landed. 

 

“Good. Paladins, go out in your Lions to inspect the surrounding area. I’ll go with Sarah in White and we’ll find a way inside the facility. When you’re sure the area is safe, meet us inside and we’ll investigate in teams. Hopefully we can locate the ancient texts the Dragons spoke of.” 

 

“I want to come to!” Kayla piped up. 

 

“I’ll come as well then.” Krisox said before Sarah could say anything. 

 

“Hey,” Allura said softly after she noticed Sarah frowning and staring at the floor. The Paladins were already on their way to their Lions as she, Sarah, and the latter’s siblings made their way to White. “I’ll go with them. It’ll be okay.” Sarah nodded appreciatively. 

* * *

“Okay the area’s secure, we’re flying inside now.” Shiro said over comms as Sarah, her siblings, and Allura looked around the vast hangar they had landed inside. Sure enough, the Black Lion flew inside and landed next to the petite White Lion, followed by the other four. 

 

The crew broke into four groups: Keith and Lance, Hunk and Pidge, Sarah and Shiro, and Allura, Kayla, and Krisox. They split up, going in four different ways to best explore as much of the abandoned facility as they could. 

 

“This place has seen better days.” Sarah commented as she and Shiro stared down a dark, decrepit hallway, their helmet lights illuminating only a couple feet in front of them. 

 

“I’ll say.” he murmured, taking her hand as they started down the hall. “I hope we can find these books fast. I don’t like the feeling of this place…”


	167. Twilight Being

Their footsteps seemed to echo forever as they explored the facility. “Why aren’t our helmet lights lighting this place up more?” Shiro murmured cautiously as they passed smaller hallways intersecting the large one they were in. 

 

“I don’t know. It might be the black magic, whatever it was that happened here that made this area inhospitable and un-mappable….The air is so heavy, like it is around druids and Haggar.” Sarah said softly, though her voice still echoed. She visibly shuddered. “This place gives me the creeps.” 

 

“Me, too.” Shiro nodded as he slipped an arm around her shoulder. 

* * *

An hour later they returned to their Lions, having found nothing more than dead ends and empty, decaying rooms. 

 

“Did you find anything?” Shiro asked over the comms as they were the first to return. 

 

“Nothing. Heading back now.” Pidge said. 

 

“Same here. We’re almost back.” came Keith’s voice. 

 

“We’re still looking, we found a strange room, looks like it was a lab or some place for rituals….it’s massive.” Allura said, her voice crackling slightly. 

 

“Sounds promising!” Sarah said giddily, petting her Lion’s nose. 

 

Silence fell as the couple waited for their companions, both lost in shared thought over their psychic connection. The energy of the area shifted, causing Shiro and Sarah to look up into the depths of the hangar they had parked the Lions in. “What was that?” Shiro asked, looking to Sarah as she explored the darkness through quintessence. 

 

“I….I don’t understand.” she said after a moment. “It’s….it’s like the ancient magic Kayla wields, but I don’t-”

 

Suddenly the earth shook as something large began walking towards them. “What the-?” 

 

Out of the darkness a figure emerged, massive and seemingly made of twilight. 

 

“No…” Shiro gasped, staring up at the creature in fear. “We destroyed it!” 

 

“Shiro!” Keith called as he and Lance ran over and joined them. “Fuck, I thought we-”

 

“Apparently not!” Sarah yelled fearfully. 

 

“Get in your Lions! We have to form Voltron-and Sarah, it looks like we’ll need you and White!” Shiro ordered. 

 

“Right.” 

 

“Sarah, can you feel me?” Kayla’s voice crackled. 

 

“Yea, what is that?” she asked as the four Lions roared to life while Hunk and Pidge boarded theirs. 

 

“I don’t know but something tells me you’re gonna need me on this.”

 

“But-what-how?”

 

“Don’t try to figure it out, we don’t have time for that-”

 

Sarah whirled around in White as Shiro cried out in pain. The twilight robeast was already attacking. 

 

Within moments Voltron was formed, but though they fired all they could at the creature, nothing seemed to affect it. 

 

“Why isn’t anything working?!” Hunk cried out. 

 

“I don’t know!” Pidge whimpered. 

 

“Sarah, get ready, this is the only thing that’ll work against it!” Kayla grunted as Sarah felt her sister’s strange magic flow through her. 

 

“Right.” she said, gritting her teeth as she directed the twilight magic to Voltron’s weaponry. 

 

After Sarah connected to Kayla’s energy and channeled it into Voltron, the tide of the battle really turned. Shiro was grateful-they had had enough trouble defeating the strange robeast-the “digimon motherfucker” as Sarah called it-before it was somehow resurrected into a twilight creature that seemed unaffected by their normal arsenal. It seemed whatever ancient magic Kayla had absorbed was the only thing that could affect it; they were insanely lucky that Sarah and White joining Voltron allowed them to channel it. 

 

“Brace yourselves, it’s firing up its central laser.” Shiro warned the others. Pidge brought the shield around as Sarah redirected the magical energy into a particle barrier. “Shit, it’s diverting the charge to its arms!” Pidge covered their left as Sarah focused the barrier on the right, but in the blink of an eye the robeast had refocused its energy and emitted a massive blast from its center. Though they hadn’t shielded their center front, they seemed mostly unaffected by the blast, as it seemed to pass right through them. Everyone, that is, except one. 

 

“ _SARAH!_ ” he screamed as she cried out in agony. Turning, he and the others saw her charred Lion at the end of the hanger, motionless in a way that sent a chill down his spine. 

 

“Fuck, Kayla!” Krisox yelled, his voice cracking slightly in worry and fear.

 

“Krisox, what happened?” Allura asked. 

 

“I don’t know, she collapsed, she just collapsed out of nowhere!” 

 

“Shiro, what did that thing do?!” Allura asked, her composure beginning to break. 

 

“I-I don’t know, it didn’t seem to affect the rest of us…but we have no way to fight it now, nothing else we did made a dent!” he answered, doing his best to remain focused for his team’s sake. 

 

“Just…just do what you can, I’m making my way to White now.”  

 

“Right.” 

 

Their efforts proved fruitless, however. Mere moments later, Voltron had been wrenched apart, the five Lions scattered around the hanger in various states of disarray. 

 

“Green’s not responding!” Pidge cried, panicking. 

 

“Neither is Yellow, oh man, oh man.” 

 

“Shiro, what do we do?” Lance asked fearfully. 

 

“I don’t know.” he confessed, testing Black’s controls but finding her unresponsive as well. “C’mon girl, come back to me…”

 

“Hey-what’s that?” Keith asked, causing Shiro to look out Black’s view ports. A bright golden-white light was radiating from the end of the hanger, the source getting closer as he watched. “Is that-?” 

 

Shiro shielded his eyes and squinted, but he could just make out the form of his wife as the source of the light. “What’s she doing? Allura?” he asked, standing up on his pilot chair and exiting through the top of Black’s head. 

 

“I don’t know, she was like this when i reached White, I don’t know what she’s doing.” Allura said; Shiro didn’t like how scared she sounded. 

 

Standing on Black’s head he watched Sarah approach the robeast at an almost relaxed pace. 

 

“With our powers combined,” she said, her voice echoing across the facility. Shiro frowned; it wasn’t just her voice, there were definitely two separate distinct voices…. “We will erase you from existence.” She stopped very close to the robeast. The robeast looked like it was about to attack, making him scramble down Black’s head in an attempt to run to Sarah’s aid. Just as his feet hit the floor, she held up her hand in front of her, and he was almost blinded by the light radiating off her. It began to pulse, he stared at his hands in awe as he could feel it, before looking back up at his wife… The robeast attacked, but it could not penetrate the orb of glowing light that had extended to the point where it absorbed her. Enraged, the robeast swung its arms furiously at her to no avail. It roared in anger, charging up its chest cannon and firing point-blank at Sarah. Shiro watched fearfully as it diminished the glowing aura and saw the force of the blow pushed her back slightly. “You cannot over power us. It is fruitless to try.” she said. The robeast started charging its chest cannon again, only this time when it fired, Sarah crossed her arms in front of her, glowing brighter than before. The resulting blast knocked him off his feet. He lay on the ground for a moment, dazed slightly as his eyes readjusted to the dim surroundings. He carefully sat up, before frowning. It was  _dark_  again. He hastily stood up and turned, scanning the area.

 

The robeast was gone, but so was Sarah it seemed. His eyes scanned desperately for her, his feet hastening to reach where she had been. As he got closer he saw her on the ground, unconscious but otherwise she seemed unharmed. He knelt next to her, lifting her in his arms as his eyes scanned her for any injury. 

 

“Hey, is she okay?” Keith asked, coming to a stop behind him. 

 

“She seems it, she’s breathing and I can’t see anything….” Shiro answered, gently brushing some hair out of her face. She stirred then, slowly coming to and smiling when her eyes focused on his. “You okay, Princess?” 

 

“Yea….yea I’m good. I don’t know how or…. _what_ ….” Sarah trailed off, her brows furrowing in confusion. 

 

“That’s okay, we can figure it out later.” he said soothingly, helping her up. 

 

“What was that thing?” Keith asked, looking around the dark hangar. “It looked like that weird lizard robeast-but we destroyed it!” 

 

“It….I think Haggar found the texts.” Sarah said fearfully. “She’s here, and Lotor must be as well.” 

 

“Oh no…” Allura whispered, just having joined them. “What do we do?” 

 

“We find them.” Keith said fiercely. 

 

“Keith, we can’t just-”

 

“No, he might be right.” Sarah interrupted warily. “They can’t make something that large again so fast, now’s the time to find them, or at least find the texts. If she doesn’t have them, she can’t make it again.” 

 

“Do you feel up to it…?” Shiro asked, frowning in concern. 

 

“Surprisingly….yes….” she murmured, confused and slightly distressed. “I don’t know why…” 

 

“We can worry about that later, let’s go.” Keith said firmly, already running off for his Lion. 


	168. Gone

Once in their Lions, they delved deeper into the facility, in the direction the twilight robeast had seemed to come form. As they continued on, the passage became narrower and the texture of the walls changed. Metal faded into rock, rock turned to what looked like obsidian. 

 

“Okay it’s getting too narrow for our Lions. Let’s stop here and continue on foot.” Shiro said. He waited until everyone was out before addressing them. “Stay close. We aren’t splitting up this time. We don’t know where they are or what to expect, so stay cautious and speak up if you notice anything.” He took Sarah’s hand, squeezing it. “Don’t let go.” he whispered. She looked up into his worried eyes and nodded. 

* * *

“Shiro?” Sarah called, cautiously exploring the shiny black hallway. Light was reflecting off its polished surface, but she could not decipher the origin. She had no idea how she had become separated from everyone else. One moment, she was holding her husband’s hand and leading the group with him. She went to brush stray hairs out of her face and….everyone was gone. It took all her energy to not completely panic.

 

“Sarah? I’m in here.” she heard Shiro call from up ahead. She quickened her pace, her footsteps echoing in the strange silence. 

 

She turned into a room with a terrifyingly high ceiling, stretching far beyond her sight. Across the middle was a thin catwalk, black water surrounding it and lapping at its edges. Shiro stood in the middle, turned away from her. “Shiro?” she asked nervously. This place gave her the creeps.

 

“Hey,” he said gently, turning. “Come here, I think I found the way out.” 

 

“Oh, good.” she said, breathing a sigh of relief. Alarm bells were ringing in her  gut but she attributed it to her being very anxious in the current environment. 

* * *

Shiro ran and ran, but no matter how far he went it, he always ended up in the same circular room. Each black, polished wall was the same as the next, their sharp, triangular design reflecting light from seemingly everywhere and yet nowhere could a source be found. Something about this place was manipulating the space around him, he just knew it. He couldn’t explain it, but how else could Sarah have gotten separated from him when they were literally right next to each other? And where had everyone else gone?

 

A voice echoed down a hall on his right. Hoping for the best, he ran down the hall, straining his ears in an effort to hear every little sound. The sound of his boots on the polished surface made it slightly difficult, as it echoed up and down the halls. 

 

“Shiro?” he heard not far away.

 

“Sarah?!” he called eagerly, speeding up. But as he grew close to where he assumed the source would be, he found nothing. Frowning he looked around, starting to get distraught. 

 

“Sarah? I’m in here.” 

 

Shiro whirled around. That was his voice, and very close. He approached the wall behind him, running his Galra hand across the surface. Suddenly it became transparent. He saw Sarah enter a room full of water with one thin catwalk stretching across. In the middle stood him…but…it couldn’t be him.

 

When his doppelganger turned around he saw Haggar’s form flicker for half a second. If he had blinked he would have missed it, and Sarah must have because she was approaching the fake Shiro. “Come here, I think I found a way out.” Haggar said in his voice.

 

“ _NO!!_ ” he screamed, banging against the almost glass-like wall. Evidently Sarah could not hear him, as she kept moving. Activating his arm, he punched the wall, hard, cutting through a good portion of it and causing cracks to spread across the surface. With a well place kick it came shattering down and he jumped over the shards, running to his wife. “SARAH!”

 

She turned, frowning. She had stopped only a foot away from Haggar. Her eyes went wide as she realised what was going on, looking behind her in horror.

 

Time seemed to slow as Haggar burst out of her Shiro disguise and grabbed Sarah. Out of nowhere, several, spindly black arms burst forth, all grabbing hold of his wife and dragging her to Haggar. Try as she might she could not fight against the hold the witch had on her. He saw one of her feet seemingly disappear and realised it must be an invisible portal of some sort. He urged himself to run faster, reaching for her just as Sarah reached desperately for him. More and more of her disappeared, being pulled into god knows what. He was so close,  _so close_ , his fingers brushed hers-

 

She was gone. He stumbled and fell to his hands and knees. He leaned back and stared at his hands, his eyes watering. He had failed her. He had promised to protect her, but he had failed. He threw his head back and screamed, in anger, in agony, in sorrow, before falling into sobs that rocked his body. 

 

He didn’t know how much time had passed, he was so lost in his anguish; Keith startled him, making him jump violently. 

 

“Shiro….” he said quietly, his face paling as he saw the state his brother was in. “Did Haggar….is….what….”

 

“Haggar took her…I d-don’t know where, it was like an invisible portal, I don’t understand….” Shiro cried, sobbing into his hands. “I can’t feel her.”

 

“What do you mean?” the Red Paladin asked, kneeling next to Shiro.

 

“Our…it was like a psychic connection, always there. We could share thoughts and feelings, she had a presence in my mind that was comforting, it meant she was okay….I c-can’t feel her-” He broke off, pulling his knees to his chest and wrapping his arms around them as he buried his face. 

 

“Hey did you guys find the hag, Kayla’s not….” Krisox said, worry etched on his face, trailing off as he took in the scene before him. 

 

An uneasy silence fell as Keith stood, taking a defensive position in front of Shiro. Just in case.

 

“Where’s my sister.” Krisox asked finally, his voice barely a whisper. 

 

“Krisox its not his fault, he tried-”

 

“WHERE. IS. MY. SISTER.” 

 

Another uneasy silence, Keith braced himself. “Haggar took her. And we don’t know where. This place….Where did we all go…” he trailed off, staring around the room, confused. 

 

“What are we doing wasting time here? Let’s go get her!”

 

“Shiro said…she was pulled through what looked like an invisible portal….he also said he couldn’t feel her presence anymore….”

 

Krisox looked like he was about to attack one of them, but instead he closed his eyes and steadied his breathing. After a moment, his eyes opened and he dropped to his knees; he seemed lost and confused and the anger from moments before had vanished. “I can’t….I can’t find her.”

 

“What….what does that mean….” Keith asked tentatively. 

 

“It….it means that she’s either d-dead-” Shiro’s sobs hitched slightly. “or she’s….not in this universe or something….” Krisox answered, looking up to Keith who knelt in front of him. “I would have….felt something if she died….I don’t understand…..”

 

Something on Shiro’s person buzzed, startling all three of them. His hands shaking, he pulled out the communicator I’ntayn had given him. When he opened it, she began speaking immediately. 

 

“I know where she is. Get someplace safe and I will come to you.” 


	169. Not Lost

The next day found the castle far far away from the druid planet. Kayla was in a medical pod, as whatever magic the sisters had done left her in a bad state. White wasn’t faring much better, sprawled on the hangar floor where Shiro had gently set her down. All were at a loss of what to do. Krisox was beside himself. 

 

Shiro sat next to him on the steps leading to the cryopods. The Dularian had been crying for hours, and now seemed to have run out of tears.

 

“This is all my fault.” Krisox began, continuing on before Shiro could say anything. “I was supposed to protect them and now my little sisters…..ones gone and ones in almost critical condition….I’m their big brother…”

 

“If anyone’s at fault its me.” Shiro said softly. “If I had just…” he trailed off, thinking of the numerous things he could have done differently. 

 

Krisox fixed his gaze on Shiro for a long moment, as though he was contemplating something. “You’re a good man, Shiro. For a while I was afraid Sarah’s love had just blinded her but…you really are a good dude. I’m sorry I was so hard on you.”

 

“You had every right to be.” Shiro said with a sad smile. 

 

“I’ntayn is pulling into the hangar now.” Allura’s voice said over the P.A. system. 

* * *

Shiro and Krisox ran up to her as she disembarked, but as the former began to speak she held up her hand. “Where’s her Lion? And her sister?” 

 

“Um….?” Shiro led her to where White lay, as she was closest. His mentor stood in front of the giant creature’s nose, murmuring something. The Lion’s eyes flashed, startling the men and Allura, who had joined them. 

 

“She will be fine.” I’ntayn said with reassuring smile. 

 

After doing something similar with Kayla, who woke, disoriented and slightly frantic, but otherwise okay. Shiro approached her cautiously. “If I can ask….what did you do….?” 

 

“Isn’t it obvious? I revived them.” she answered, frowning in mild, amused confusion. “It’s old magic, complicated and lost to history. To explain it would only confuse you further.” 

 

He frowned but nodded, dropping it in favour of the more pressing matter. “You said you knew where Sarah was.” 

 

“Ah…yes. I do not know exactly  _where_  it is, as it isn’t so much of a ‘where’ as it is a…’what’.” She held up her hand when he began to ask a question. “Allow me to finish. I will answer all I can.” He nodded, slightly sheepishly, and she continued. “The Dark Witch took her to a place of darkness. Imagine a prison with no light, whose walls are mad of malice and evil. I believe Haggar is trying to snuff out the light in Sarah, corrupting her and turning her against us.” His face paled and she nodded gravely. “But, your little Witch…I believe she has the strength of will to resist and possibly even escape. She has her family to come home to, you, but….though I only knew her for a short time…I got the sense she doesn’t take kindly to people forcing her to do things against her will?” she inquired, a mischievous smile tugging at her lips.

 

A wistful smile adorned his lips. “Yea…she hates that almost more than anything else.” His gaze lowered before meeting his mentor’s again. “Is there nothing else we can do?” 

 

“I’m afraid not. But I believe I can amplify your psychic connection with her, to where you’ll be able to find her the moment she escapes back into our universe, no matter where it is.” She rested a comforting hand on his shoulder. “Do not fear, my pupil. Your wife is not lost.” 


	170. Florence

So much happened in such a short amount of time, Florence felt overwhelmed. Shiro was again kidnapped by Haggar, along with his petite wife, then after they were rescued it was off to Stiea K2 yet again. She had succumbed to terrible flashbacks and nightmares and so found herself confined to the room she had been given. Her adopted son, Keith, had come to keep her company. Both were bad at handling and sharing emotions and such, but even though it was awkward, she appreciated his company. 

 

After the castle left Stiea K2, she was horrified to learn about the medical procedure Shiro had underwent. 

 

“Why didn’t you confer with me?” she asked sharply. “I’m your mother and this….this sounds like a very serious procedure!” 

 

“Mom, I’m 24, I’m an adult, I can make my own decisions…Her mother is very skilled in this sort of thing, and it worked for Sarah so I had faith it would work for me.” Shiro insisted, arms folded across his chest. 

 

“I’m not comfortable with this, Shiro. An alien put alien nanobots inside you to affect your brain, how can you be so blase about this?”

 

“I don’t know how to explain it…I trust Sarah. And I trust her mother. They’d never do anything to intentionally hurt me, I know they just want me to be safe and happy. Mom, please…” he pleaded. An awkward silence filled the room as she avoided his gaze. “Mom…why don’t you like Sarah?” he asked softly. 

 

Her eyes grew sad as her gaze met his. “I….I don’t feel like she’s worthy of you.” she said quietly, reluctantly. “She’s so small and fragile….I just pictured you with someone of the same caliber as you.” 

 

“Mom….” he trailed off, at a loss for what to say. “She….might not seem like much on the surface, but….she’s incredible. She’s my sun. She’s so optimistic even though she’s been through hell several times. And she’s so smart and so clever, and so kind….” He sighed sadly. “I just wish you’d at least try to get to know her. Or at least not write her off like this….At least when her mother had reservations about our marriage, she had-”

 

“Her mother had reservations?” Florence asked sharply. 

 

“Well….she concluded that, had we not been a couple….Sarah likely wouldn’t ever have faced Haggar. She has this huge target on her now, that she wouldn’t have if it weren’t for me…” He sat down, resting his head in his hands. “She’s right, but I can’t think of any way…”

 

“If….if she’s as powerful a witch as you make her out to be…I’m sure Sarah can hold her own.” his mother said after a tense moment, trying to comfort her oldest son. She sat next to him and hugged him. “I can try.” she said softly. “You shouldn’t blame yourself for her being targeted…Haggar is the only one at fault there.” She kissed his head for a long moment. 

 

“Thanks mom.” he whispered, returning her hug. 

* * *

Florence still suffered flashbacks and terrible nightmares, but talking about it with Shiro seemed to help a little. She was horrified to hear about his PTSD and all he had gone through, even before joining Voltron. It was nice, she connected with her oldest son in a way she never imagined. He shared his many adventures and some of the plans and strategies they were using for the war. 

 

“Oh, we’re going pretty deep into Galra territory tomorrow. There’s some ancient books on some long lost magic that we’re going to try and find, the hope is we find it before Haggar does.” he said one night near the end of one of their sessions. 

 

“Why? That sounds incredibly dangerous.”  she frowned. 

 

“It’d be more dangerous for Haggar to get her hands on them.” Shiro answered grimly. “White says this kind of magic can creature monsters that could rival Voltron.” 

 

“Oh….still, it seems like you don’t have much to go on.” 

 

“We really don’t, we just know an approximate location and what to look for. We’re kind of racing against the clock a little, because Haggar knows we have the companion texts.” 

 

“Companion texts?” 

 

“We have what is basically a how-to on how to use the magic. The ones we’re looking for explain how to make the specialised magic.”

 

“So what we have is more or less useless.”

 

“Well, not for Kayla, Sarah’s sister. We’re not clear on what happened but some ancient artifact….it was absorbed into her body or something and it allows her to use the magic at will. So these texts can majorly help her.” 

 

“Interesting…” Florence murmured, lost in thought. 

 

“I’m gonna check with Allura to make sure final preparations have been made. Night, mom.” rising to his feet.

 

“If you can call it that.” she said, smiling. Shiro chuckled and waved before exiting her room. 

* * *

Florence had opted to keep Coran company in the castle while the rest explored the planet. She didn’t think she’d be much use and would be more of a hindrance than anything. 

 

After some sort of twilight creature attacked and then was dispatched, the castle lost the group as they explored further. It came as a shock when the Black Lion burst out of the facility, the petite White Lion limp in her mouth. 

 

She and Coran ran to the hanger, slowing as the Black Lion gently set the White Lion down. Shiro ran out of the former’s jaws, stopping by the un-moving latter. She felt her heart sink as he dropped to his knees, sobbing. 

 

“Shiro….?” she asked softly, crouching next to him, an arm around his shoulders. 

 

“Haggar, she…she…she took Sarah.” he cried softly. “And Kayla and White….we don’t know what happened, what Haggar did, and she’s got Sarah and I wasn’t fast enough-” 

 

Florence pulled him to her chest as he broke down sobbing, holding her son tightly. “You’ll get her back, you will….” she said soothingly, though she wasn’t sure she believed it herself. The world of magic she found herself in was beyond her understanding, and she wasn’t sure she wanted to understand it. “We’ll find her, yeah? We’ll find her….”


	171. Grief

“So…what do we do now?” Krisox asked Shiro uncertainly after he shared what I’ntayn had told him with the siblings. 

 

“I….I don’t know. I know I’ll be meditating with I’ntayn a lot. She said she could amplify mine and Sarah’s connection, so I’ll know where she is the moment she….she escapes.” He cringed slightly, picturing whatever dimension she was trapped in. “In the meantime….there’s not much we can do.” Shiro’s sad gaze met Kayla’s and Krisox’s and he knew how they felt; not being able to do anything was agonising. 

 

“I think….” Kayla began after a heavy silence. “I think she’d want us to continue fighting the Galra.” She looked uncertainly between Shiro and her brother, who nodded slowly. 

 

“That’s probably for the best. I know I…I have things I should probably get back to on Vaynov…”

 

“Oh, can I come with you? I haven’t hung out with Avve in forever.” Kayla asked excitedly. Krisox smiled and nodded. 

* * *

The siblings left in Krisox’s craft the next day, promising to keep in frequent contact with the castle. 

 

“Hey, how are you doing?” Allura asked carefully, joining Shiro in the hangar where he had watched the small craft depart. Her face fell when he turned to her, and he assumed his face reflected how he felt; lost and hollow, a broken man who had lost everything and was powerless to do anything about it. “Well find her, Shiro.” she whispered, wrapping and arm around him and squeezing. 

 

“I wish I could be so…so sure. I’m just so scared…” he cried, holding himself as he cried into his hand, his shoulders shaking as he fell into sobs. 

 

“I know you are.” she said softly, her voice shaking. “I am too.”

* * *

“Shiro?” someone called, their echoing voice muffled. The Black Paladin woke, his body sore from his awkward sleeping position inside the White Lion. Sarah’s cat, Pookie, hopped out of his lap, stretching his long orange body before jumping into White’s pilot seat. White’s hatch opened and blinded him; he shielded his eyes as a figure joined him, kneeling next to him. “Shiro, what are you doing here?” Keith asked. 

 

“I…I was sleeping…” he said groggily. “Pookie and White….they miss her terribly….” he trailed off, looking away as his eyes beginning to tear up.

 

Keith sighed and leaned back until he was sitting. “Hey man….” he began rather awkwardly. “We all miss Sarah. You know I’m always the first one to leap into action for someone I care about. Its agonising to not be able to do anything…..but that’s exactly the situation we’re in right now.” he sighed, pulling his knees to his chest and resting his arms on them. “I don’t know what to say, I’m lousy at this.” he mumbled. 

 

Shiro managed a small smile, ruffling his younger brother’s hair. “I appreciate it all the same.” He frowned as he noticed some fresh wounds on Keith’s arms. “Where’d these come from? Did you go on another rogue mission?” 

 

“Ah, um…no….I’ve just been training….” he mumbled, avoiding Shiro’s gaze. 

 

“Keith….” Shiro said sternly. 

 

“I might have increased the difficulty a lot….” 

 

“Keith-”

 

“Look, it’s-it’s how I deal. I can’t do anything to help and I feel useless, but when i train extra hard…I don’t know, it helps.” 

 

“It takes your mind off things.” Shiro said with an understanding nod. 

 

“You should…probably find something too….” Keith said tentatively. “It’s no use worrying for hours on end and locking yourself up.” His eyes watched his brother carefully. “You know she’d want you to be helping the cause.” he said softly. 

 

Shiro sighed and leaned his head back against White’s inner walls. Pookie lept down from the chair and trotted over to him, rubbing his soft head against Shiro’s Galra arm until the latter began petting him. “You’re right.” he whispered. “I’ll do my best.” 

* * *

“Hey,” Allura said gently as Shiro joined her and the other Paladins in the control room. “We were just discussing liberating a planet in the Valencian system.” 

 

He looked around at the others, all watching him carefully, and smiled appreciatively. “Let’s take the universe back from the Galra, team.” he said confidently.  _I’ll work to free the universe from Zarkon for you, Sarah._  he thought determinedly.  _Everything I do is for you. I’ll find you._ He gazed out at the stars longingly. _I’ll find you._


	172. Continue

“I’m glad Unipeace and the Blade of Marmora are helping us free planets.” Allura commented brightly, smiling as she watched the various groups mingle with the usually timid Valencians. Once she had contacted both groups, it didn’t take long for them to free the planet and drive off the Galra. Unipeace had grown in power, and since they started working with the Blade, they had freed two dozen planetary systems in half as many months. “This will really help our efforts, isn’t it exciting? Shiro?” 

 

“What? Oh, yea, uh, fun party. For sure.” he answered, still lost in his thoughts and not really paying attention. 

 

She sighed. She knew he was thinking about Sarah, trying to find any sign of her in the vast cosmos. “You should relax your mind.” Allura said gently. “You won’t do her any good if you exhaust yourself.” 

 

“I know.” he said in a long, drawn out sigh, slumping back in his seat. 

 

“Come on, have a drink.” she said as she poured him the Valencian’s strange concoction. “Lance seems to enjoy it.” Allura nodded to the Blue Paladin, who was clearly drunk. 

 

“Ah…just a bit maybe.” Shiro conceded, taking a sip. It was a strange drink, first fruity and sweet, then bitter, then biting like soda, before turning sweet again. “What is this stuff?” 

 

“I don’t know, the Valencian’s said they serve it after victories. A custom of theirs I believe. It’s interesting, isn’t it?”

 

“I’ll say…” he chuckled, drinking more. “What are the odds of me convincing Sarah to try it?” he said with a smile, imagining her reaction to the foreign drink. 

 

“Uh, judging by how drunk Lance is getting, I’d say the odds are not in your favour.” she said with a light laugh. 

 

“Lance still can’t believe she hasn’t had any alcohol ever. Says being over 21 is wasted on her.” 

 

The two shared a laugh as they fondly reminisced about Sarah. “Oh, should we let Lance be drinking this?” Allura asked after a moment. It just occurred to both of them that the other Paladins were underage. 

 

“Eh…let them have fun. We aren’t on Earth, and its not like they’ll be driving or flying the Lions.” 

 

“I suppose I should stop then? Since I am technically….what was it? The one person who doesn’t drink?”

 

“Designated driver. Yea, though I mean you could sleep it off. Just maybe try not to drink too heavily.” 

 

The two chuckled before falling into a comfortable silence again. 

 

A while later the Minister of the Valencian system joined them at the head table. “It is a wonder you have not invited the Il’rean Ladies to join your alliance in the fight against the Galra!” he commented, pouring himself a cup of the weird liquor. 

 

“Who?” Allura asked, frowning in confusion. 

 

“The Ladies! Lady of Fear and Lady of Harmony. The High Priestesses of Il’rea.” He looked between Allura and Shiro, who exchanged confused looks, before dropping his voice to a stage whisper. “You haven’t heard of them?” he asked, almost aghast.

 

“Um, I’m afraid we have not.” 

 

“You must meet with them!” he said excitedly, almost beside himself. “You simply must, here, I’ll send you the coordinates now and tell them about you.” 

 

“Uh that’s really not necessary-” Allura began, trying to stop him, but was he was too fast. 

 

“Okay, you have their coordinates and I’ve sent a message saying I’m sending friends to meet with them.” the Minister said joyously. 

 

Allura groaned after he left. “More allies would be good, right?” Shiro prompted, slightly confused by her reaction. 

 

“Yes, I’ve just….I’ve heard whispers of ‘Ladies’ but I just dismissed them, I thought they might be talking about Haggar and Sarah, since it was always talk of magically powerful women. Now that I know who they were really talking about…I would have liked to learn a bit more about them before going to meet them.” 

 

“He only said he was sending friends, he didn’t-”

 

“I saw his message over his shoulder, he told them explicitly who we are and to expect us within 2 quintants.” she answered, grimacing. 

 

“Oh…” he said blankly. 

 

“I guess we better get organised. Don’t want to keep powerful women waiting.” Allura said with a light-hearted chuckle. Trying to make the best of it. 

 

Shiro nodded. “I’ll go ahead and get to the castle, let Coran know.” 

* * *

“Ugh, remind me to never drink whatever that stuff was again.” Lance groaned the next morning as he shambled into the dining room. 

 

“I told you to go easy on it.” Keith chided drowsily. 

 

Shiro chuckled as he read through a newsletter on a handheld holoscreen. He jumped slightly when his phone buzzed. Pulling it out his face lit up for a second, before falling drastically. 

 

“What is it?” Keith asked, confused. 

 

“It’s the kids…” Shiro murmured sadly, rising from his chair and leaving the room to take the call in the hall. It had almost killed him to break the news of Sarah’s abduction to her parents and their kids. The children were so sure that he’d find their mother soon and bring her home….his grief and guilt made his heart physically ache. He took a few calming breaths to steady his voice before answering. 

 

“Hey kids,” he said, his voice steady and warm. “How are you doing? Being good for gran-mani and gran-pani?”

 

All the kids tried to say something at once, before Tei shushed them and took control of the phone. “We’s behaving.” she assured him. “We goes to school and then does our homework.”

 

“That’s good, I’m happy to hear that.” 

 

“Have you found mani yet?” 

 

His heart dropped. He had dreaded this. “N-not yet, baby girl. We’re looking, all of us here. We haven’t stopped looking.” 

 

“Okay. I know you’ll find mani, if anyone can, it’s you, pani.” Tei said confidently. Shiro felt his composure crack. “Oh, it’s the bedtime now. Love you!” 

 

“Love you, too! All of you, I love you so much…” he said, barely managing to keep his voice from shaking. When he call ended, he leaned against the nearest wall, slumping down to floor as he broke down again. Everyone was just so confident he’d find Sarah….he wished the feeling was mutual, but he couldn’t help but be scared that he’d never see her again….

* * *

Shiro gasped as he bolted upright in his and Sarah’s bed. He couldn’t remember the nightmare that had woken him up, as he was immediately overcome by his loneliness and desperate desire to have his wife back in his arms. Shiro pulled his knees to his chest, sobbing as he held them and rocked back and forth slightly. 

 

After he ran out of tears, he shuffled his way to I’ntayn’s quarters. She had requested a rarely-used lounge, as she needed the space to properly meditate. When he entered, she was awake and sitting in the middle, as if she were expecting him. 

 

“Let us begin.” she said softly when he joined her. He nodded and they joined hands, closing their eyes to meditate.


	173. The Ladies

“So what exactly do we know about these….Ladies?” Shiro asked as they approached Il’rea, arms crossed over his chest as he looked it over.

 

“They’re very powerful, and one of them is rather reckless.” Allura said as she pulled up the files on them from Unipeace’s database. “They are priestesses, they rule the planet alongside a king…but they’re the um…” she frowned, not sure if she was understanding the next part correctly. 

 

“What is it?” Shiro asked, turning. 

 

“It says they are reincarnations of deities of some sort. But that’s absurd, this must be some kind of local folklore or something…”

 

“Honestly, with everything I’ve seen these past few years…I wouldn’t be surprised if it was true.” 

 

“But literal  _goddesses_ , thats a ridiculous notion.” 

 

“Allura, literal gods control the internet.” he replied, smirking good-naturedly. “I don’t think these priestesses being actual goddesses is all that ridiculous.”

 

“I suppose you have a point there.” she chuckled. 

* * *

The entire team watched the green planet Il’rea grow in size as they made their approach. A few minutes later they were hailed-by a Galra. 

 

“May I ask who is entering Il’rean space?” he asked formally.

 

Shiro and Allura shared a wary glance before she replied. “I am Princess Allura of….the late planet Altea. I believe we are expected?” 

 

“Ah yes, of course. I’m sending coordinates for where you should land. The High Generals are eager to meet you.” he said as he tapped away at something off-screen. “I am Ulrich. I will greet you when you land.” he bowed before signing off.

* * *

“The High Generals are waiting for you in the conference room. If you will follow me…” Ulrich said after Allura, the Paladins, and I’ntayn had departed from the castle. The shell-like temple he escorted them through was gorgeous and mesmerising. Shiro tried to imagine how Sarah would react, smiling wistfully as he pictured her getting so adorably excited. A pang of the now all-too-familiar loneliness struck him. 

 

Three months. It had been three months since Haggar had taken his wife. Three months of meditating with I’ntayn, sleepless nights, and barely holding himself together for the team.  _Three months._

 

Whether Allura could tell he was about to break down or she was just snapping him out of his thoughts he didn’t know, but she squeezed his shoulder as they approached the conference room. 

 

When they entered two women aliens were whispering to each other at the other end of a long table. When the Voltron crew entered they looked up and suddenly Shiro felt an overwhelming, confusing, mixed wave of emotion flood his senses. Conflicting feelings were conducting a haphazard waltz that washed over him and sent a chill down his spine. 

 

“My apologies.” Ulrich said. Shiro looked around and found his crew to be in a similar state of distress. “The High Generals’ pheromones can have…peculiar effects on people who first encounter them. It will pass momentarily.” 

 

Sure enough after a moment the strange concoction of emotions faded. The woman with silver hair smiled warmly. “Welcome, please, sit.” She gestured to the table, prepared for a feast. “So may I ask what brings you to Il’rea?” 

 

“The uh….Valencian Prime Minister sent word, I believe…? He was surprised we had not met yet, considering we are both resisting the Galra Empire.” Allura answered, taking a seat near them. Shiro sat across from her as I’ntayn sat next to him and the other Paladins hesitantly sat next to the adults. 

 

“Oh, yes, of course. You had just freed his system from the Galra, correct?” 

 

“Yes, with the aid of Unipeace and the Blade of Mamora.” the Altean Princess said with a nod. “Combining our forces has really expedited the process of freeing planets and systems from Zarkon’s grasp.” 

 

“You’d think you’d  lost the battle judging by grief and sadness radiating off you.” the red-haired woman commented shrewdly. 

 

“Um-what?” Allura asked, confused and looking between the two generals. 

 

“We’re ah….slightly psychic, I suppose you could call it.” the silver-haired general answered. “There’s a great deal of masked grief coming from your team, it’s odd.” 

 

Shiro felt the Paladins’ eyes flicker to him, only slightly, but the red-haired general noticed. She frowned in concern and he could feel himself on the verge of losing composure. He made to excuse himself, so he could calm himself down, but I’ntayn rested her hand on his shoulder, signaling him to stay. He didn’t understand why, but obeyed.

 

“I’m afraid we have suffered a grievous loss.” she said, addressing the generals. Shiro felt his eyes begin to fill with tears.  “Shiro’s wife-a White witch, you may have heard of her-was abducted and taken into a dark realm by Zarkon’s witch three months ago.” 

 

There went his composure. “I-I’m sorry,” he cried, resting his head in his hands as his shoulder’s shook. “I shouldn’t-we’re just meeting you and might want to combine forces-I just-” I’ntayn stood and awkwardly hugged his shoulders, gently shushing him in comforting whispers. 

 

The generals shared a wide-eyed look before the red-haired one stood up slowly to walk behind Shiro, making him jump as she placed a cold hand on his other shoulder, bringing him into a rather awkward three-person hug as she sat on the arm of his chair. “I am…sorry for bringing up such sad thoughts. I’ve been told I’m rather tactless and don’t think before I speak.”

 

The silver haired woman snorted and her sister shot her a glare before placing a hand on Shiro’s head, like one would to comfort a child. “But…if you’ll forgive my transgression? Good! I promise, I’ll try to ignore your feelings. Just don’t throw them out there into the wind, because then they’re fair game.” A wink and a pause before she seemingly remembered why Voltron was there in the first place, “Ah! I do believe we’ve forgotten to introduce ourselves! I am Selena, High Priestess of Fear and HIgh General of the Il’rean Alliance.” She smiled and Shiro could see how pointy her teeth were.

 

“And I am Arcadia, High Priestess of Harmony, High General, and so on,” her smile was much warmer, less pointy, “But please, call me Arkh. We are friends and do not need to hide behind titles.” She reached over to pat Shiro’s shoulder and give it a warm squeeze as her sister resumed her seat beside her.

 

“Ah…it’s a pleasure to meet you both. I am Princess Allura of Altea, and these are the five Paladins of Voltron. I’ntayn is…ah…” Allura trailed off, not exactly sure what to call her. 

 

“I am…Shiro’s mentor, of sorts. I helped create the Lions, my kind were highly skilled in geomagic and geotechnology. They were….obliterated by Zarkon….” she trailed off to a murmur. 

 

“Oh my sincerest sympathies,” Arkh said, her eyes saddened. “The Galra are most treacherous.” 

 

“We were…curious…” Allura began tentatively. “You’ve been fighting the Galra and keeping them at bay for many years. We’re curious how you’ve accomplished this, and if you would be interested in joining forces with us and the rest.” 

 

“The Blade of Marmora…what is that?” Selena asked, her piercing eyes watching Allura carefully. 

 

“It is a group of Galra resistance fighters. They give us precious intel on the inner workings of the Galra military, and have spies inside the empire.” 

 

“Interesting…” Selena murmured. 

 

“We’ve heard of Unipeace,” Arkh began. “But I was under the impression their sole focus was cleaning up the universe-wide child slave trade?” 

 

“They accomplished that.” Shiro said, his voice steady again. “From my understanding, they had grown so much in size they now had the resources to take on the Galra Empire. They’re headquartered on Stiea K2 now.”

 

“Interesting…” Arkh murmured, sharing a glance with her sister. 

 

“Of course we wouldn’t expect an answer from you immediately.” Allura said. “We understand this isn’t a matter to take lightly. I’m sure you would want to take many things into consideration and perhaps reconvene later to further discuss and perhaps reach a conclusive answer.” 

 

“Of course.” Arkh said, smiling as she nodded. “We can set you up in rooms here, if you’d like?”

 

“Oh, we wouldn’t want to intrude.” Allura assured her. “Our castle ship is more than adequate. In fact, I’d love to give you both a tour if you want.” she finished brightly. 

 

“Oh, that’d be lovely!”

* * *

Sarah felt darkness encompass her as she was pulled into god-knows-where by Haggar. It was an endless void and all she could feel was fear. Her head was spinning and she gasped for breath. 

 

Suddenly she was thrown against something cold and jagged. Opening her eyes she saw Haggar leering over her, a strange cage door between them. “Where are we?” she asked, her voice shaking slightly. Everything was black and jagged, almost like the halls she had run through just moments ago. But there was something sinister slithering down the walls, like evil, burnt tree roots. 

 

“It matters not where we are. You will succumb to the darkness soon enough. Nothing can resist It.” 

 

 _We’ll see about that._  Sarah thought, her brows furrowing in defiance. “What’s ‘It’?” 

 

“You will know soon enough.” Haggar said, a cruel smiling growing on her lips. 

 

The witch left her, and she was alone in the otherworldly cell. It felt like the cold fear was seeping into her and she panicked slightly. She created a small white orb, the only thing she could think to do, and to her surprise the chilling fear dissipated. She felt warmth and hope emanate from the orb, and she knew what she had to do. 

 

Haggar checked on her at irregular intervals. Luckily, Sarah could hear her when she approached and hid the orb inside herself somehow. The Dark Witch didn’t seem to notice anything, but became increasingly suspicious as time went on and Sarah was obviously not succumbing to whatever “It” was. 

 

“What tricks are you playing?” she hissed. 

 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Sarah said defiantly. 

 

“You should have succumbed to fear and darkness long ago. It is getting impatient and angry.”

 

“Well I guess It is just going to have to deal, huh?” 

 

“It is more powerful than you assume,” Haggar snarled. “It will consume you eventually, just as it did…..” the witch trailed off, staring at Sarah for a moment before stalking off. 

 

“What was that…?” the small human girl wondered. 

 

She didn’t know how much time had passed, but she found it was getting harder and harder to maintain her white orb. She knew she had to find a way out, and soon, lest she actually succumb to…whatever It was. 

 

She focused on her hope and faith that everything will turn out alright, making the orb bigger and bigger until it encompassed her. She stared in wonder as she absorbed it, her skin glowing white. The dark roots dissolved into ash at her touch and she smiled. Standing up, she lightly touched the cage door, jumping over it as it became dust. 

 

She ran through the twisting, almost Escher-like halls, covering her ears as several things roared in anguish and frustration. Sarah didn’t know how to escape, but she knew she had to keep running. She didn’t know what was in front of her, but she knew what was behind her, and decided the odds were more favourable ahead of her. 

 

As she kept running, flashes of other places startled her, almost making her trip. Sarah wasn’t sure what this meant, but the other places….they were  _actual places_ , she saw cities and farms and mountains. She didn’t know what it meant or what she was doing but she picked up speed, and the flashes lasted longer, a full second, and then two, and then five. 

 

Sarah heard Haggar and something huge and monstrous roar in anger, a guttural roar that sent a chill down her spine, making her run faster. There were a few split second flashes of cities and towns she recognised! 

 

Suddenly she was thrown forward, stumbling and falling onto cold, damp….it felt like concrete! She opened her eyes and looked around. She was in an alley somewhere, she couldn’t tell where, she just knew she was in a city somewhere. 

 

She reached inside her hiding place and pulled out her phone, calling Shiro. 

 

“Sarah…?” he asked hesitantly. 

 

“Shiro!” she cried. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> co-authored by https://savetheblackpaladin.tumblr.com/


	174. Convene

Shiro bolted upright, panting heavily as he tried get a sense of where he was and what happened. After a split second it all came back, and he was scrambling desperately out of his bed. Sarah was  _back_. He could feel her again. When he reached his door and it opened, he was startled to find I’ntayn already there.

 

“She’s back,” she panted. “I felt her too.”

 

Before he could say anything, his phone rang-Sarah’s ringtone. He snatched it off his bed and tentatively held it, afraid he might be in a dream. He swallowed and braced himself, answering it. “Sarah…?” he asked, afraid this wasn’t real.

 

“Shiro!” she cried on the other end.

 

He fell to his knees, fighting back sobs to stay coherent. “Oh baby, princess, are you ok-okay? Where are you?” I’ntayn knelt next to him, resting a hand on his shoulder.

 

“I…I don’t know, I escaped and…I’m in an alley somewhere I think? This looks like a city.”

 

“I can amplify your connection and find her location.” I’ntayn said, settling down in front of him.

 

“Baby, I’ntayn’s here, she’s gonna use our connection to find you.” Shiro said, still fighting to keep his voice steady. He was so relieved she was okay and someplace he could reach her and hold her….

 

“I’ve got it.” I’ntayn said after a moment. “I’m going to the bridge, I’ll input the coordinates.”

 

“Thank you…” he whispered as she left, his eyes watering. His mentor smiled and nodded before departing. “Princess, you still there? Sarah?”

 

“I’m here, but my phone’s running low…I need to…I need to….” he heard her trail off thoughtfully, likely already planning her next move. He smiled; his Sarah was back.

 

“Okay, well I’ll-I’ll call you back when we’re on our way, try not to use your phone too much, I know that that can be hard-”

 

“I know.” she said quietly, fearfully.

 

“I’m coming for you, Sarah. I’ll see you very soon. I love you baby, I love you so much, I’m coming for you.”

 

“I know.” she said, confidently this time. “I love you, too, Shiro. I’ll….find a place to lay low for a while. I’ll see you soon.”

 

He held his phone to his ear for a long while after she hung up, sobbing in relief. His wife would soon be in his arms again.

* * *

By the time he had woken Allura, I’ntayn had a hologram of the planet pulled up in the main control room. The former and Shiro rushed inside, staring up at it eagerly. 

 

“This is a most peculiar planet.” I’ntayn murmured, circling it. 

 

“What do you mean?” Shiro asked, his brow furrowing. 

 

“It is made of 100% inorganic material. It’s as if the entire planet was built by some civilisation. It’s a city planet, the entire sphere is a city.” 

 

“How would that even work?” Allura asked. 

 

I’ntayn shook her head, her gaze lowering to meet theirs. “I know not. But there is more troubling news concerning this planet.” She walked around to where she was beside Shiro and Allura. “You see that faint shell? That shield is heavily monitored and controlled by the Galra. The entire planet is, actually. Communication at every level passes through Galra hands. They have eyes and ears in every building, home, and street. It’s extremely difficult to get in and almost impossible to get out.” 

 

“Sounds like Big Brother….” Shiro murmured to himself. “So how do we get in?” he asked, turning to I’ntayn. 

 

“I’m not sure. I’ll need to do more research on this planet. This shouldn’t be too difficult, Unipeace seems to have extensive recor-” 

 

She was cut off by the High Generals hailing them. “Hey, did something happen?” Arkh asked as Selena rubbed her eyes sleepily. 

 

“Uh…yes,” Allura said in surprise. “Shiro’s wife, Sarah…she escaped wherever Haggar had her. We’ve located what planet she’s on, but it’s Galra-controlled, heavier than I’ve ever seen.” 

 

“Oh my…” Arkh murmured. 

 

“Takashi…” I’ntayn said softly. He turned and found her large eyes concerned. “The amount of energy required to move between dimensions…there’s no way we were the only ones to notice.” 

 

“What do you mean?” he asked, frowning in confusion. 

 

“All magic users will have felt or sensed her entering this universe. And likely know her approximate location. If Haggar herself does not show up within the following days, I guarantee one or more of her Druids will.” His face paled in fear. “And they aren’t the only ones….I fear other magic users will crawl out of the woodwork to investigate. And they would be less than friendly and I fear Sarah has been weakened. We have to reach her before all others.” 

 

“And we will.” he said firmly, confidently. “We’ll-” He frowned, jogging to his control desk that was blinking with an incoming message. He pulled up a holoscreen, smaller than the one the Ladies were featured on.

 

“Shiro, man, I felt her!” Krisox gasped when his call was answered. Kayla was hovering by his shoulder, eyes wide. “She’s okay, Sarah’s back!” 

 

“We both can feel her again, and kind of where she is? But…I’m not very good at that kind of magic…” Kayla said, her voice trailing off to a murmur. 

 

“We know where she is, we’re forming a plan now. It’s a heavily controlled Galra city planet, but we’re gonna get in and we’re gonna get her back.” 

 

“Who are you talking to?” Arkh asked curiously. 

 

“Sarah’s brother and sister,” Shiro answered, glancing up at the Ladies before returning to Krisox, who was tapping away at something off-screen.

 

“Shiro….where are you right now?” he asked slowly. 

 

“We’re on Il’rea, we were meeting the High Generals here.” he frowned, thrown off by his brother-in-law’s sudden skittishness. “Why?” 

 

“Um, I need to go, I’ll send Kayla your way. Call me when you get Sarah, but between now and then…” his voice dropped to a barely audible whisper. “Don’t say you’ve worked with me or anything. Nitro has uh…. _borrowed_ …..some of their tech and supply shipments in the past.”

 

Shiro sighed irritably. “Krisox-”

 

“Hey, I am the leader of a criminal organisation. That hasn’t ever stopped being a thing.” Krisox pointed out. “Kayla has her own ship now so she’ll be heading on over soon. I’ll send her frequency and contact information. Later.” 

 

“Did you say ‘Krisox’?” Selena asked, her voice dangerous and curious and low.

 

“Um…” Shiro blinked, not sure how to answer. 

 

“As in the leader of Nitro? The largest crime syndicate in the known universe?” 

 

“Well-”

 

“Is he an ally of yours?” Arkh asked smoothly. 

 

“Yes,” Allura answered, rolling her eyes. “He’s Sarah’s older brother.”

 

“ _Allura_ …” Shiro hissed quietly, turning to her. She shrugged her shoulders as if saying “what?”. 

 

“Is he coming here?” Selena asked, a note of lethal rage hidden in her voice. 

 

“No, he’s not. Sarah’s little sister, Kayla, is. She has nothing to do with Nitro.” Shiro answered pointedly. 

 

“Of course.” Arkh said, smiling; he knew she understood what he was getting at. “If you are willing to rejoin us, we could further discuss joining your alliance. And, more importantly, helping you save Sarah.” 

 

“What, really?” he gasped, joyously surprised. 

 

“Of course. The city planet she is on is relatively close by. We’ve been wanting to take a crack at it for years, but our forces are not enough. Perhaps now is our chance. At the very least, we can help reunite you with your beloved.” she smiled softly at him. 

 

“Let us get properly dressed, and we’ll meet with you again.” Allura said. The Ladies nodded and the holoscreen shut off. “Shiro what was the big deal?” she asked, somewhat snappishly. 

 

“Nitro has stolen supplies from Il’rea ships. Krisox told me to keep our relations with him on the down-low. And judging by how Selena was acting, I’m not surprised why.”

 

“Oh damn…I hope that doesn’t ruin our chances with them.” 

 

“It doesn’t look like it will, but we should still be careful.” 

 

“Right.” she nodded. “Let’s get going. The sooner we get Sarah, the better.”


	175. Clandest

“So this is what we know about the city planet Clandest.” Arkh said after the two parties reconvened. “Unipeace intelligence seems more thorough, but not quite as up-to-date. Pooling these resources, we should be able to find a way inside easily.”

 

“I suggest a covert operation, as opposed to a full frontal attack. That could take months to plan and prepare for, months we don’t have.” Shiro said, arms folded across his chest as he, Allura, I’ntayn, the Ladies, and Ulrich surveyed a hologram of the planet. “We’d smuggle ourselves in somehow.” He waved his hand and a data table pulled up. “Judging by this record of shipments the past six months, textiles and organic food are in high demand, it could be easier to slip in if its a resource they desperately need.” 

 

“I can shape-shift into a Galra, that would increase the likelihood of success.” Allura said. 

 

“And Ulrich will go as well.” Selena murmured, surveying the hologram as she circled it. 

 

“Do we have a transport ship that would pass Galra inspection?” Shiro asked, looking to Arkh. 

 

“No…but I don’t think it would be too hard to get one.” she answered with a devilish smirk. 

* * *

Shiro, Allura, and I’ntayn were looking over various intel the next day when Sarah called Shiro.

 

“Sarah? What’s up, are you okay?” he asked anxiously. 

 

“Yea, I’m good. I just wanted to let you know I found a good place to lay low and charge my phone.” she said quietly, as though she were hiding from someone. “I kinda lied and said I had amnesia, but she believed me, so I’m good for now.” 

 

“Okay, just be careful.” he said warily. “We’re planning a way to get in and get you out right now, and we have some powerful allies helping us out. And Sarah….I’ntayn said that however you escaped-the amount of energy released by that will have caught the attention of magic users across the universe.” 

 

“I had a feeling that’d be a thing,” Sarah murmured fearfully. 

 

“Just keep your head down, princess, and try not to do any magic.” 

 

“That’s the plan. Oh crap, gotta go now she’s coming-I love you Shiro.” 

 

“I love you, too, Sarah,” he said, almost desperately. He sat down slowly when she hung up, taking a deep breath before getting back to work. 

 

“How is she?” Allura asked tentatively. 

 

“She’s okay. She’s staying with someone who thinks she has amnesia, but Sarah’s safe for now.” 

 

They made to return to the research when Shiro’s phone rang again-this time it was Sarah’s parents. 

 

“Krisox called, where is she? Is she okay?” Stena asked frantically.  

 

“She’s fine, safe for now, she’s on a planet called Clandest. She’s laying low somewhere right now, she just called. We’re working with the Il’rean High Generals to form a plan to get her.” 

 

“Call us the minute you have her back and you’re all safe.”

 

“Of course, of course. How are the kids? Are they doing okay?” 

 

“Yes, we just told them, hang on-” Shiro heard a click and then multiple voices; he suspected his mother-in-law had put him on speaker phone. 

 

“Pani! Pani! I knew it! I knew it!” Tei chanted. He could hear Chi crying and V’selle squealing and Aury and Nec running around somewhere and chattering excitedly. 

 

Shiro couldn’t help but smile. “Honestly, it was your mani, she saved herself. We just have to go pick her up.” 

 

“I’m so happy mani’s back!” Chi cried and he heard N’eion comfort her. 

 

“As soon as I have mani we’ll come by and we can be a big happy family.” Shiro said, tearing up slightly. 

 

He heard a click and then just Stena spoke. “We’ll let you get back to it.” She paused for a second, as if hesitant. “Shiro….save our daughter.” she said softly, fearfully. He got the sense she knew about Clandest. 

 

“I will. I’m going to.” he assured her firmly. 

* * *

“How are we on getting that Galra transport ship?” Shiro asked a few days later when he and Allura reconvened with the Ladies and Ulrich. 

 

“There have unfortunately been some unforeseen hiccups.” Arkh said reluctantly. “Our intel turned out to be outdated.” 

 

“Have you checked with Unipeace? Their intelligence might be more up to date.” Allura suggested. “They gave us access to their database, you can peruse it in the castle at your leisure if you like.” 

 

“I think I’ll take you up on that.” Selena said with a terrifying smile. 

 

“I’d also like to read up on their war effort and strategy. If they’re as powerful as you insinuate they are, it might be well worth our time to join forces.” Arkh nodded. “Have you thought anymore on how you’ll hide your presence from the scanners?” 

 

“I’ntayn said she could possibly hide us by manipulating quintessence, but Pidge and Hunk also said they could make a sort of force field that blocks the scanners. Just to be extra cautious, I suggested we try both.” Shiro answered. 

 

“How about your escape plan?” 

 

“I will remain in the transport while the rest of our party searches for and rescues Sarah. With any luck, we will be able to be in and out with little to no trouble.” Ulrich answered. “I’ntayn will stay with me, making the transport invisible until the others return.” 

 

“And if you encounter any trouble?” 

 

Ulrich looked to Shiro and Allura. “We’ll handle it.” the former said simply and firmly. 

 

“That’s it?” Selena asked, somewhat scathingly. 

 

“Yes.” he said, holding his ground. “In my experience, no matter how carefully we plan, something will always go awry and through all that planning out the window. We have a plan to get in. I’m confident, once we’re in and have Sarah, we’ll be able to get out safely one way or another.” 

 

“But still, don’t you have some sort of backup plan or…something?” 

 

“Honestly?” Allura said with a small smirk. “Sarah is our backup plan.” 

 

“I’m…not following.” Arkh said, frowning in confusion. 

 

“My wife can be very resourceful and is very good at thinking on her feet. If we encounter any problems, I’m confident she will be the key to getting us out safely.” 

 

Arkh raised her eyebrows, sharing a look with her sister. “I must say, I really can’t wait to meet her. She sounds like quite the woman.” 

 

Shiro couldn’t help but beam proudly. “That she is.”


	176. Rescue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Clandest references https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B3og9yx1oV_oVXhrUmhLbG52TTg

“What do you mean we still don’t have a transport?” Shiro almost yelled. It had been a week and a half since Sarah had escaped Haggar’s clutches, and they still hadn’t gotten any further in their plan to rescue her. 

 

“Watch your tone when speaking to the High General.” Ulrich hissed. Shiro glared at the Galra and the latter was about to reprimand him further but Arkh raised her hand, quieting him. 

 

“We can forgive him this time, Ulrich, it is perfectly understandable. I deeply apologise for the delay. Selena herself has gone to secure us a Galran transport. We will have one soon and then you shall be well on your way to rescuing your wife.” she assured him calmly. 

 

Shiro wanted to snap at her, tell her that apologies and assurances weren’t enough, that he had told Sarah he was coming for her soon and had been made a liar by the delay….but he knew better and bit his tongue. “Thank you,” he managed, barely keeping his voice steady. Ulrich’s eyes narrowed but Arkh nodded, accepting it. 

 

“I suggest you return to your castle and get your team ready. Ulrich will join you as soon as Selena is back with the transport.” 

* * *

“Shiro, hey,” Kayla said when he and Allura returned to the castle. She had arrived a few days prior and was just as anxious to reach Sarah as he was. “Do you think you’ll have room for me? I wanna go. I know you said it’d be dangerous and I should probably stay behind with the others, but-”

 

“I know,” he said, smiling gently. “I understand. You can come. Just be careful, I think Sarah would kill me if anything happened to you on my watch.” 

 

The trio laughed as they entered the control room where Florence, Coran, and Pidge stood circled around a hologram of the planet. “Shiro, good,” his mother said, pulling him into a hug. “Run us through the general plan again?”

 

“Right. Allura, Ulrich, Keith, I’ntayn, Kayla, and I will sneak into Clandest using the transport Arkh assures me is on its way,” His tone turned somewhat bitter and he cleared his throat before he continued. “We’ll be connected to the castle over comms the entire time, Pidge managed to fit the castle with a randomised transmitter. Once in, I’ntayn will boost my connection with Sarah and we’ll get as close as we can in the transport. We’ll likely have to park and hide it and set out on foot, if it comes to that it’ll be me, Allura, and Keith-”

 

“What-hey,” Kayla interjected, frowning. “I thought you said I could come.” 

 

“Yea, but when we’re on the ground-I just need you to stay with Ulrich and I’ntayn, okay? Please?” he pleaded, hoping she’d understand. He wouldn’t be able to focus on keeping her safe while also seeking out Sarah. 

 

Kayla pouted slightly, looking so much like her sister his heart ached. “Fine.” she mumbled. 

 

He smiled encouragingly before continuing. “Throughout all this I’ll need all hands on deck here, keeping an eye on the planet and incoming and outgoing communications. The High Generals said they’d supply a convoy for us, in case things get really hairy. We won’t be able to tell if the Galra become aware of our presence or not on the ground, so we’re relying on you all here.” 

 

“How are you getting out?” Florence asked. 

 

“If all goes smoothly, the same way we got in.” 

 

“And if it doesn’t go smoothly?” She raised a skeptical brow at her son. 

 

“We’ll figure it out.” he said confidently. 

 

“Shiro….” she sighed, exasperated. “I know you desperately want to get to your wife, but you can’t just run blindly into hostile territory without some sort of backup extraction plan.” 

 

“It’s been a week and a half, mom. I promised Sarah we’d come for her soon, and it’s been a week and a half.” he emphasised, pleading with her to understand. It was agonising, not being able to rush to her side and rescue her from the Galra planet. But he forced himself to be smart about it. 

 

Florence was about to say something but was interrupted when the castle was hailed by Selena. 

 

“Got the transport! We’re coming in now.” 

 

“Excellent!” Shiro said eagerly. “Let’s get ready to go. We leave as soon as its here.” 

* * *

“So far so good.” Allura muttered over comms as she and Ulrich guided the transport. They had smoothly entered the steady stream of traffic entering Clandest air space and were waiting their turn to go through customs and be allowed into the city. Shiro, I’ntayn, Keith, and Kayla sat in the main storage compartment, waiting with bated breath as Allura and Ulrich gave them little updates and made comments on what they observed. Pidge had managed to equip the transport with a blocker that would prevent customs from detecting the stowaways, but they stayed quiet and still just in case. “We’re next for the scanners.” Allura warned. Shiro tensed and it seemed everyone was holding their breath. A few seconds later they heard a hum encircle the transport, before they moved again. “We made it past.” Ulrich announced. 

 

The four in the storage compartment breathed a collective sigh of relief. “Okay.” he began, turning to I’ntayn as she joined him to meditate on the floor. “Let’s narrow our search.” 

* * *

“She’s close by!” Shiro said eagerly. “A few levels down I think. Allura?” 

 

“On it. There’s few large alleys that are deserted. I can only land on the top-most level.” she answered and he felt the transport tilt as it made its descent. 

 

“We’ll make do.” 

 

Shiro and Keith stood as the transport came to a stop, departing down the back hatch as Allura lowered it and waited for them outside. “Okay, we’re all connected right?” she asked, looking between the four in the back of the transport. She nodded after they confirmed their comms were linked. 

 

“And we have your visuals here.” I’ntayn said, showing them the handheld holoscreen she had that streamed what their specialty contacts saw in real-time. 

 

“Okay. Let’s get going.” Shiro said, leading the way as the back hatch closed. 

 

“This looks to be a market district, lots of shops and bustling crowds.” Allura said as she pulled up the local information on the portable holoscreen on her wrist. The three exited the alley and easily slipped into the stream of foot traffic. “You said she was a few levels down?” 

 

“Yea. Not too many. What’s the fastest way down?” 

 

“Looks like an elevator or something up ahead.” Keith noted. 

 

Several clear, glass-looking cylinders sat in a row, each seemingly extending far below to connect to each level. The crowd surrounding them was large but smoothly dispersed into lines that moved quickly. The three were four levels down five minutes later and regrouped on the steps of a closed up shop. “Okay, lead the way Shiro.” Allura said with a nod. 

 

He returned the nod and was about to set off when he saw a flash off movement across the chasm. Frowning he began moving quickly through the crowd, trying to see if he could find the source or if it was merely his imagination. 

 

“Is that…?”

 

“Sarah!” Shiro gasped, breaking off into a run. The other two were quick to follow him. “She’s running from someone, we need to cross.” 

 

“There’s a pedestrian bridge up ahead!” Allura called. 

 

Upon reaching it Shiro slipped through the crowds, losing Keith and Allura for a moment, but he was solely focused on reaching his wife. He wasn’t far behind her now, but could now see who it was she was running from: a Galra, but not a Galra soldier. He urged himself to run faster; if he could catch up to the Galra he could take him out and then reach Sarah without fear of pursuit. To his surprise, the Galra abruptly dove into a dark shop, leaving Shiro’s path to Sarah clear. He felt in his gut that something was up, but Sarah was  _right there_  in front of him. His legs were longer and he could more easily catch up to her. 

 

“Hey, where’d the Galra go?” Allura panted as she and Keith caught up with him. 

 

“I don’t know, he ducked into a dark shop on the side. Let’s just try to reach Sarah and figure out where he went later.” Shiro said.

 

Sarah glanced briefly behind her before taking a sharp turn. When the trio reached it, they found themselves in a deserted alley, with no trace of Sarah. “Where’d she go?” Keith asked as they ventured further. 

 

[“Shiro?” a small voice asked from behind them. ](http://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.polyvore.com%2Fsylvia_malais%2Fset%3Fid%3D170012725&t=M2Y3MDBlMThiYjI2NzI4MTYxYzk2YjY1MzNkOWUwZTJiOWVlZTFjNyxRQzhuUGRyeg%3D%3D&b=t%3AUp-8vRCgTYJDx5VxPdiFaA&p=http%3A%2F%2Fterezisexbuttpyrope.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F166313128750%2Frescue&m=0)

* * *

Sure enough, her husband turned around and she ran up to him, leaping into his arms as he caught her and held her close. “I missed you s-so much!” she cried. 

 

“I did, too, princess,” he sobbed. “I’m so sorry, I wasn’t fast enough-” 

 

Sarah cut him off with a kiss, and the two lost themselves for a moment. 

 

“Uh, as touching as this is…do you know where the Galra went that was chasing you?” Allura asked tentatively. 

 

“I don’t know,” Sarah panted. “But we should definitely get moving. You’re timing couldn’t be more perfect-Haggar and merry band of Druids arrived earlier today. And of course she got someone looking for me, and was very close to sending them directly to where I was.” 

 

“Right. Let’s get Ulrich to come to us with the transport, and let’s get back to the top level.” Shiro said firmly. He took her hand and they set off. It was easy to find an elevator back up, but the streets and alleys they passed were too narrow or crowded for the transport to drop down to get them. 

 

“Here, some of these alleys open up to wider alleys behind all the stores and stuff.” Sarah said, leading them down one of the narrow alleys. Sarah was so happy to be near Shiro again, so elated, all she wanted to do was hug him and cry and hold him in her arms. But she was still being pursued, so there was no time for that.

 

They turned a corner and the narrow alley opened up to a mostly empty street. Allura was on comms and was talking frantically. Sarah felt hopeful, as it seemed they were almost out of the woods.

 

Almost.

 

“Fuck, get DOWN!” Shiro yelled, launching himself at her and shielding her from the sudden explosion with his body. 

 

  
She blacked out. When she next came to, her ears were ringing, and the world was blurry. As everything came back into focus, she saw Shiro, motionless a few feet away. “No!” she cried, lurching to her feet and stumbling over to him. “Shiro, please…” she whimpered, fighting a pounding headache as she knelt next to him. She cradled his face in her hands, tears spilling down her cheek. “Shiro, don’t do this to me….please, come back to me, come back,  _Shiro_ ….” She rested her forehead against his, concentrating, finding his energy and digging deeper. She wanted to draw out his Altean magic to heal him, she hoped to god it worked….

 

He gasped, his eyes flying open and darting around until he found hers. “I’ll always come back to you…” he murmured, smiling. She helped him to his feet and, unable to restrain herself, threw her arms around his neck and kissed him, deeply, passionately, losing herself in him. He reciprocated, his arms wrapped around her middle, trying to hold her as close as possible and then even closer. “God, I missed you so much.” he whispered breathlessly.

 

“I did, too. I’m never letting go of you again.” 

 

“Nor will I. Let’s get out of here.”

 

“Where did that come from?” Allura asked, coughing from the smoke. 

 

“Up there…” Keith said, his tone hollow and frightened. 

 

The four turned to look up and saw three small Galra fighters suspended in the air above them. Sarah clung to Shiro, chilling fear dripping down her spine. “Haggar’s in there,” she whispered, terrified. 

 

“I’m not going to let her lay a finger on you. Allura, where’s Ulrich?” Shiro said, his arms tightening around his wife. 

 

“He’s almost here,” she said, glaring up at the Galra crafts. “I told him to stay invisible.” 

 

Suddenly, Haggar flickered into existence in the alley before them, two Druids following suit and flanking her. “How did you escape,  _witch_?” she spat. 

 

“I don’t know, and if I did, I wouldn’t tell you,” Sarah hissed, though her voice trembled slightly. 

 

The Dark Witch snarled. “It matters not. I will have you again. You are weakened, I can feel it. You won’t be able to resist this time.” The four whirled around as three more Druids appeared behind them, surrounding them. 

 

Allura and Keith backed up until their backs were against Shiro as he held Sarah close, encircling her protectively. She felt herself trembling, not sure how they were going to escape. Sarah buried her face against Shiro’s chest as she started to cry, terrified of being dragged back into the dark place and certain that it was going to happen. Haggar was right: she had been weakened by her escape and hadn’t had enough time to recuperate. She knew that if she was forced back into the darkness now, that would be the end of her. 

 

A sudden, large explosion somewhere in the city nearby shook them all to their knees. A thick column of black smoke rose from the distance. More explosions followed, and as the black smoke accumulated against the artificial sky shield that kept people trapped on the planet, the shield flickered and started to break apart. Pieces of the shield began to fall, and the congregation could hear civilians screaming in the distance. 

 

Before anyone had time to recover, a Galra transport materialised above them, the back hatch in the process of opening. To Sarah’s surprise her sister was standing at the opening, her eyes connecting with Sarah’s as two twilight creatures flew out and attacked the Druids and Haggar. As they were distracted, that gave the four an opening to board, assisted by I’ntayn who was lowering a harness attached to a rope. Shiro secured the harness around Sarah’s thin waist as Allura and Keith grabbed two of the attached handles. Shiro grabbed a third and then all four were hoisted up and into the transport. Allura quickly disengaged and disappeared inside the transport while Kayla and I’ntayn ushered Sarah to safety and Keith and Shiro covered them with blaster rifles they had procured from god knows where. 

 

This all happened so fast Sarah hardly had time to process anything before the hatch was closed and they were airborne. She looked around in a daze as her companions sat around her. Kayla was talking to her, relief evident on her face, but Sarah had a hard time bringing her mind to the present so she could focus. 

 

“Princess, are you okay?” Shiro asked, very close to her, slipping an arm around her middle. She turned and found his face watching her intently, concerned, only a few inches from hers. 

 

“Yea…yea….there was just a lot that happened all at once…” she said slowly, coming to the present. “Sorry, Kayla, what were you saying?” 

 

“I was just saying how happy I am that you’re okay and back with us! Soon as we’re out of this planet and back in the castle I’m gonna call Krisox and mom and dad.”

 

“Oh….yea. Where is Krisox?” 

 

“He…ah…..”

 

“Nitro stole many large shipments and cargo from the sovereigns who are aiding us.” I’ntayn answered for her. “He thought it best not to join us, I believe the High Generals have a warrant for his arrest and they aren’t exactly lenient when it comes to punishing criminals.” 

 

“Oh…” Sarah said, blinking. “I guess I’m…not surprised….” It was easy to forget sometimes that he led the universe’s largest crime syndicate. She leaned her head against Shiro’s shoulder, smiling softly as he kissed the top of her head. 

 

Suddenly a nearby explosion rocked the transport. “Allura? What-?!” 

 

“I think there’s a rebellion, civilians are attacking Galra and firing rockets at the shield’s stabilisers.” The transport swerved, causing those in the back to frantically grab at handholds. “We’ve been lucky so far, but things are getting more and more out of control.”

 

“Can you find us an exit point?” 

 

“Ulrich just found one, we’re going for it now.”

 

Sarah clung to Shiro as the transport swerved again and he held her tight with one hand, his other grasping the handhold. 

 

The ride out was bumpy and rough and frightening as explosions rocked the air around them. But then things became smooth and Allura came back on over the comms. “We’re out! Heading for the castle now.” 

 

Sarah breathed a sigh of relief and visibly relaxed. The recent traumatic events were behind her now, and she was back where she belonged, in her loving husband’s arms. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> co-authored by https://savetheblackpaladin.tumblr.com/


	177. Safe

To the party’s surprise, the High Generals were in the castle ship when they returned. Shiro had warned Sarah about their peculiar affect on people, but it still came as an unsettling shock when she entered the control room with the others. 

 

“It’ll pass…” Shiro assured her, holding her. “There, see?” He smiled gently when she nodded, her wide eyes watching the alien sovereigns. 

 

“It’s good to see you safe and sound.” the woman with silver hair said as Sarah and the rest gathered around the center console. 

 

Sarah stared wordlessly at both women, awestruck and at a loss for what to say. Luckily, Coran began speaking and drew their attention. “We tried to look into what exactly was happening on Clandest as you were escaping. It looks like a revolution had been in the works for several months.” 

 

“Lucky it was today that they struck.” Allura said thoughtfully. “How are we getting this information?” 

 

“They took out the Galra media screening ports first. All forms of communication would go through them and if anything was deemed dangerous they would be deleted and the perpetrator tracked down. Without them, social media has blown up. People have been openly talking about everything, including the rebellion.”

 

“Oh yea, I remember, the lady I stayed with had some kind of adapter on her phone, she said everyone was required to have one and have their devices registered. I kept mine hidden cause, uh, no way in hell, thank you.” Sarah said with a small smile, making Shiro chuckle. 

 

“A most interesting and fortunate turn of events, for sure.” the red haired woman commented. “And it looks like Unipeace is well on its way, I suppose to help with the rebels efforts and clean up afterwards.” 

 

“That’s good,” Sarah commented, before yawning. She hadn’t realised how tired she was, though it made sense: running for your life could really take it out of you. 

 

“I think we’ll go lay down…” Shiro said smoothly, his arm around her waist guiding her to the door. She smiled, wrapping both arms around him and leaning her head against him.

* * *

For a long while they lay cuddling in their bed, both savouring being back in the other’s arms. 

 

“I missed you, baby,” Sarah murmured, twirling his white forelock in her fingers. “Has it really been three months?” 

 

“Yea…” Shiro said softly. “The most agonising three months of my life.” 

 

“Time was so weird…wherever I was. It didn’t feel like more than a week, but I really have no idea…” She cringed slightly at the memory. 

 

“Shuuush…you don’t have to think about that anymore.” he said, concern etched in his face. “You’re here now. And I will never let anyone take you back there ever again.” 

 

Her eyes watered as she watched him for a long time. “Promise?” she whispered, her voice barely audible. 

 

He took a moment to frame her face, securing her with his gaze. “Sarah, I promise to keep you safe and protect you from the evils of this world, on pain of death, for as long as I live and beyond.” he said firmly. “I love you Sarah. Being apart from you…you being in danger…..” He paused to take a steadying breath, but before he could speak again she was kissing him, desperately, willing herself closer to him. 

 

Shiro slithered his arms around her midsection, holding their bodies flush together before shifting so she was on top of him. She gasped, panting, as his Galra hand grasped her thigh and his human hand slipped under her dress. Their tongues entwined in their shared love for each other, their bodies on fire. 

 

After a moment they paused, resting their foreheads against each other, both panting. “I missed you,” Sarah whispered, an adorable and sexy blush tinging her cheeks. 

 

“You said that already, princess,” he chuckled. “I missed you, too. I need you so badly. More than a drowning man needs air. More than a tree needs sunlight.” She moaned as his Galra hand reached and found her core and he continued whispering poetic sweet nothings. “I love you, Sarah.”

 

“I-I love you, too, Shiro!” 


	178. Sound

Shiro lay there next to Sarah, smiling softly as he watched her sleep. He had been in this position before; they had made love the previous night, and now he just held her, listening to her soft breathing, savouring the quiet, peaceful moment. She had been held captive for three months, and he had almost forgotten how much he had missed her touch, how much he need to feel her against him, moving in sync, their bodies on fire. 

 

Sarah shifted in her sleep, nuzzling his bare chest as hair fell into her face. Shiro gently brushed her brunette locks behind her ear before caressing her cheek. He held so much love for her he thought he might burst. He felt like he was in a dream, holding his beautiful, little wife as she slept soundly, her bare legs wrapping around him as she unconsciously curled up. She naturally slept in an almost-ball shape, making her even smaller and cuter than should be legal. 

 

“Mmnnhhh….” she murmured, slowly waking up. 

 

“Hey…” he said softly, smiling wider as Sarah opened her eyes groggily. 

 

“Hi…” she whispered, smiling as she blushed. 

 

“Have I told you how much I love you?” 

 

“Not sure if you have today….” she said, quoting him from loving moment they had shared several months ago. “I could use a reminder.” 

 

“Let’s see…..my love for you is so vast, all the stars and galaxies and other celestial bodies could not compare. I love you more than trees love the sun, more than birds love to sing. I love the way your eyes sparkle, I love your laugh, I love everything about you.” Sarah giggled, making Shiro chuckle. “I love how cute you are…” he murmured, leaning in to kiss her. The two smiled into the kiss, savouring the quiet intimacy. “I love you, Sarah.”

 

“And I love you, Shiro,” 

* * *

“So, this is Il’rea.” Shiro said, as he and the rest of the team left the castle to join the High Generals in their dining hall. He held Sarah’s soft, delicate hand, watching her take everything in. Just as he had imagined, she was adorably excited, entranced by the beauty of the planet and the temple they were entering. 

 

“This place is so cool!” she almost squealed, turning in a circle so she could gaze around at the interior. “Can I hire them to make me a house? Do they do that?”  she joked, making the others laugh. 

 

Everyone was in a good mood with Sarah back in their midst. Everyone was smiling and laughing-even Keith, whose natural expression was what Sarah referred to as “resting emo face”. 

 

As they approached the dining hall, he felt Sarah get nervous and thought he knew what the issue was. “Hey, don’t worry. I told them about your food preferences. Hunk and Coran joined their kitchen staff to help out.” 

 

She beamed at him and for that small moment, the world was perfect. Her smile drove away all the darkness and evil and suffering in the world, replacing it with her light, with her pure goodness. “You’re always so good at taking care of me,” she giggled, rising on her toes to kiss him. 

 

“That’s part of my job, princess. And it’s the best job in the world.” 

* * *

Sure enough, there was a selection of food at the banquet table specially made for Sarah. Shiro, Sarah, Kayla, Allura, Coran, and the Paladins joined the High Generals at their dining table, all chattering amicably. 

 

“Oh, we didn’t fully introduce ourselves.” Arkh said after a while, addressing Sarah. She smiled good naturedly and pulled Sarah into a tight hug as if they’d known for years rather than literal minutes, “I am Arcadia, but please, call me Arkh. It is a delight to finally meet Shiro’s lady love. And this…”, Arkh shifted to gesture towards her sister, who was casually eating her food over the head of the small child in her lap, one of about 40 Sarah noted, “…is my twin sister, Selena, and Marcelle, one of our various children. I won’t introduce them all, but worry not, they know who you are and will introduce themselves as needed.”  
Selena tossed her curly hair at the mention of her name and waved curtly before returning to her own conversation, much to Arkh’s chagrin. Arkh turned back to Sarah and removed her arm from Sarah’s shoulders, “Apologies for my sister’s rudeness. She’s still mad at Shiro for yelling at her for not getting the transport faster.”

  
“I had to go into Galra territory alone, take out an entire ship and make it back alive, all without alerting Galra High Command!”, Selena hissed, “I can be pissy if I want to.”

  
“None of this is your fault of course”, said Arkh.

  
“Obviously.”, Selena sniffed.

  
“Please, don’t mind her. We are both quite thrilled you are safe and sound.”

  
“And happy you were able to give Haggar some troubles.” Selena shot Sarah and wink, her own way of letting her know she harbored to ill will.

  
“Indeed,” Arkh shot Sarah another dazzling smile, “Please, if there is anything we can do for you, let us know. You are our esteemed guest and we are determined to treat you so.”

 

“Oh, um, th-thank you,” Sarah said, flustered. “Oh! Thanks for uhm…not harbouring ill-will towards me and my sister for….ya know….our brother.” she said, bracing herself. She understood these women could be quite terrifying if they wanted to be and she didn’t want to bring any of that out. But she did want to thank them for not holding her brother’s actions against the sisters. 

 

“Of course! I should know better than anyone that one is not responsible for a siblings’ actions.” Arkh shot her sister an amused look while the other carefully avoided her gaze before turning back to Sarah, “However, know that this works both ways. If we catch young Krisox, we will take what we are owed.”

 

“Find comfort in the thought that it won’t be from his flesh”, Selena added, “His relation to you has earned him the right to remain…whole.”

 

Sarah beamed. “That’s what I was hoping we could come to.” She gave Kayla an exaggerated look and the girls giggled. “He owes me one for this, dontcha think?” 

 

“So…what next?” Sarah asked tentatively after they all finished eating. 

 

“What do you mean?” Shiro asked, draping an arm around her shoulder. 

 

“I mean…where do we go from here? What do we do next? What’s the plan?” 

 

“Well, I suppose before we leave we should get Unipeace in contact with the alliance here.” he began after thinking for a moment. “And then i definitely think we should go to Stiea K2, see the kids and your parents. Maybe rest there for a bit, until you get your strength back?”

 

“Oh that sounds wonderful!” she gasped excitedly. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> co-authored by https://savetheblackpaladin.tumblr.com/

**Author's Note:**

> Didn't originally write this to be a series, it was just something fun I did, so I'm sorry for the beginning being what it is. Sorry for the chapters kind of....sporadically jumping around. ):
> 
> For more information and reference pictures please follow this link: https://tinyurl.com/ShirahMasterpost


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